Strings Intertwined
by Chronos Astral
Summary: Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1: First Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

**_"Strings Intertwined"  
by Chronos Astral  
Chapter 1 - First Meeting_**

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined_

Note: There will be slight references to the anime, but this fic will be based mostly on the manga.

* * *

Long have these three aged men walked the streets of Hinata, a common sight for the people who live there. They were considered a bit odd by the occasional passer-by, but many who knew them were aware of the wisdom and knowledge that was held in their cryptic words. They stood at the base of the long steps that led to the popular lodge of Hinata, contemplating on the magical energies that surrounded the ancient structure. 

"The fates are being decided." said one.

"Yes. Very soon. The string unravels here." said the other.

"Hmmm... There is something coming." sensed the last.

"Yes. Something."

"No. Someone."

"Wrong. More than one."

"Interlopers."

"Interferers."

"Mmm..."

"Mmm..."

"Mmm..."

They hobbled away, disappearing into the crowded streets.

* * *

The old but energetic woman stopped in her tracks, sensing something out of place. It was coming from her old lodge. 

"What's wrong Granny Hina?" called her granddaughter in concern.

"Kanako-chan. Something is happening in Hinata-Sou." The aged woman frowned.

"Is Onii-chan in danger!?" Kanako started.

"I don't know. But I think it is best if you go there and make sure he is okay."

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine by myself." Granny Hina assured the adopted Urashima.

"I understand. Stay safe Granny." While she was reluctant on leaving her grandmother to care for herself, she knew the woman was stronger than one would think. Besides, the thought of seeing her beloved 'Onii-chan' excited her far too much. One would wonder if her priorities were to the safety of her brother rather than her blatant attraction to him.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere deep _deep _inside what looks to be a cross between a laboratory and a rainforest, a machine whirred loudly, its meters going erratic and quick. The graph on its display showed abnormalities of high consideration. Or it would have if it were not smeared by banana residue. 

The owner of said machine was clearly not very good at cleaning.

* * *

It was a relatively quiet day at the Hinata Lodge, which was quite abnormal considering its normal daily routine. Urashima Keitaro, owner and manager of the Hinata-Sou as well as recently three-time Tokyo University ronin, took advantage of the temporary peace to sweep the front of the dorm. He rarely gets any chores done what with the usual antics of the inn's tenants. 

"Keitaro?" called out a brunette from the entrance.

"Ah, Narusegawa. What's up?" came his friendly reply.

"When you're done here, come up so we can study, alright? We have to prepare for the next exams as soon as now."

"Sure." He smiled as she retreated back into the dorm.

Yeah. Things were going smooth now. Despite still being a bit upset about failing the Todai entrance exams for the third time, things seemed well enough there. He thanked fate for this small but pleasant reprieve.

Unfortunately, fate was always one to be cruel, especially to the poor bespectacled ronin. Hinata-Sou's new visitors were going to be proof of that.

"Excuse me?" a voice called out from the direction of the stairs.

"Hmm?" Keitaro spotted an attractive young teen walking towards his direction. Oddly enough she looked very familiar to him. She was only a bit shorter than he was, with a curvy figure that fit well in her snug stylish jacket and small white skirt. Short wavy locks of dark-brown donned the top of her head, and gentle brown eyes stared hopefully at him. The image of a typical Japanese teenage girl. What was most noticeable besides her above average bust was the necklace she wore which Keitaro was sure he has seen.

_Deja vu perhaps?_

"Are you Urashima Keitaro?" She pushed her hair aside.

"Uh, yes. I'm Urashima Keitaro. Have we met?" He wasn't quite sure that he has seen this woman before but there was a familiar distinction about her. Was it the antennae?

"I've found you." There was a gleam in her eye and before he knew it, she launched herself at him, pinning him to the ground.

"What are you-!?" Keitaro was dumbfounded. This woman was certainly very forward.

"I found you! I found you!" She chanted it again and again as she embraced him, like a child who just won a hide-and-seek game.

While most males would find this experience much to their liking, Keitaro, on the other hand, was struggling with his own morbid questions. Who is this woman? Why is she hugging him? What would happen if Motoko or Naru find out? Will he live with all limbs intact and functional? Was he ever an ass in his past life? Why does life hate him so much? Such an act would have been made easier if the attractive teen's bust didn't happen to be pressed against him.

It was then, to his chagrin, that Motoko decided to show up.

_Oh boy..._

"Urashima. I heard a woman's voice." She spotted the woman snuggling against him.

"Motoko, wait! I-it's not what it looks like!" He'd flail his arms around if they weren't held in place by the woman's strong arms.

Once again his protests were left unheard. "Unhand that maiden you lecherous pervert!" She pointed her shinai at the two, obviously neglecting the fact that it was the woman who was pinning _him _down.

Her cry instantly attracted the attention of the other residents.

"What's the baka done now!?" Naru stomped over to Motoko's side with that menacing look she gets when her 'Keitaro's-Doing-Something-Perverted' senses are triggered.

"Who's that lady!?" Su eyed them curiously from the window.

"Ha! The dork's going to get creamed!" Sarah was, as always, expecting to be entertained by the poor manager's anguish.

"Keitaro! My, I didn't know you got yourself a girlfriend." Kitsune winked at them suggestively with her fox-like eyes next to Su.

"G-g-girlfriend!? S-senpai has a-a..." Shinobu was near fainting again.

"Ara? Kei-kun has a visitor?" Mutsumi decided to show up at that time, bubbly smile present, and watermelons at hand, followed by Haruka, who wore her trademark stoic expression.

_Well... The peace was nice while it lasted..._ Keitaro thought grimly to himself. He knew what was coming next, and he didn't even bother to move away knowing that her ki blasts always hit their mark no matter what he tried. As if the blasts were so accustomed to launching him over the stratosphere that they unconsciously home in on him like a missle. It probably wouldn't even graze the girl that was currently on top of him.

"Prepare to die, wretched male! _Shinmeiryuu-ougi!_" Motoko held the shinai in an attacking form, focusing her ki into it.

The stranger suddenly stopped her snuggling and eyed Motoko. A gleam suddenly flashed in the girl's eye.

"_Rock Splitting -_**urk**!" Before she could her bring her weapon down to strike, she was met with a crippling punch to the abdomen, launching her into the wall.

After the debris cleared, Motoko lay there in a dizzy heap, swirls in her eyes, while the wall was reduced to smoking rubble. To say that the tenants plus Keitaro were surprised is a grave understatement.

"Holy hell! That's just as powerful as the Naru-punch! And Motoko didn't stand a chance!" Kitsune gaped at the newcomer. It was one thing to decimate a concrete wall like that, but to actually be able to do it to Motoko is a feat that could only be done by her older sister, Tsuroko. This was going to be a humiliating blow to her ego.

"Don't you dare touch Papa!" She screamed at the raven-haired girl who was still dizzy from the attack.

_Papa?_

A pause...

**_"PAPA!!!??" _**There was a great shout.

"Keitaro! I didn't know you had it in you!" The resident fox's eyes were wide open in shock.

"W-w-wait! I-I don't even know this girl! I swear!" Keitaro waved his arms about in protest. Keitaro was positive that he could never have procured a daughter, considering how he wasn't exactly 'active' in that area and most girls tend to ignore him for his looks. Once again, however, his voice of opinion is discarded.

"S-s-senpai h-has a d-daughter!?" The poor girl could barely stand.

"Ara, when did you have a daughter Kei-kun?"

"What's a daughter? Does it taste good?"

"W-wait, this doesn't make any sense. I mean how could the dork..."

"Keitaro..." Naru's arms trembled, a dark aura emitting from her.

"N-Narusegawa! W-wait!" Keitaro backed away as quick as he could. The look on Naru's face made the devil seem friendlier.

"I'm gonna kill-!" She was cut off when arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Mama!" cried the beautiful newcomer as she nuzzled her cheek on the brunette's back.

_... What the hell?_

**_"What the hell!!??" _**Came another unified cry.

"You can't be serious!? You two!? So soon!?" The resident Konno's eyes were uncharacteristically wide open in shock. While the fox girl was expecting the two to end up together someday, she never imagined them to have already taken it this far.

"Th-this s-senpai a-and th-that s-senpai a-and..." The small bluenette lost consciousness.

"Hey, what's a daughter?" Su nudged the still dumbstruck Kitsune, unaware of the situation.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sarah tugged on the fox girl's side.

"Naru-chan! Such a wonderful daughter you and Kei-kun have!" Mutsumi smiled at the aspect of her two best friends finally getting together and that their daughter grew to be so lovely.

Urashima Haruka sighed, but made no comment. She could tell her nephew was not going to enjoy this.

The baffled gaping statue that was Naru, was too shocked to budge. Keitaro was found mirroring her expression, only with greater intensity. The mystery girl only continued to nestle her cheek in the nook of her "mother's" back.

Motoko shook out of her dizziness and stood once again, stepping away from the wreckage that was once the living room wall. She was disoriented, startled, and worst of all, humiliated. There was strength in the girl's attacks, as she'd already experienced first-hand. Perhaps she was trained? Nonetheless, despite her wounded pride, she was going to have a stern talk with the manager about him and his new friend.

Her thoughts were, however, cut-off when said girl lifted her head up to glare at the lady samurai, making her flinch.

"Look out Motoko!" Su cried out to her sleeping-buddy.

In the blink of an eye, the newcomer was directly in front of Motoko, her fist already poised to strike at her face giving her little time to react.

_No! I was careless!_ The raven-haired teen thought to herself as she brought her shinai up to block the attack.

Then there was an explosion of energy that knocked the attacker away, followed by the gleam of the sun on steel.

"_Yare yare_. Looks like we've got a problem here." came the voice of another unknown girl.

_What!? What is this!? This ki is so powerful!_ Motoko immediately directed her attention to the source of the voice.

After a brief gust of wind, the smoke cleared revealing a woman in her teens with a katana in hand, standing tall and arrogantly before the fallen girl. Her spiky jet-black hair was cut in a boyish fashion, making her look more masculine. Her apparel was also a good example of what one would call a street punk's attire. The collar of her black jacket was fastened on her neck but her arms did not occupy its sleeves leaving the whole article of clothing, sleeves included, to flutter with the wind. The only thing that covered her modesty was a thick layer of bandages, and her tight black jeans outlined the enticing shape of her slender legs and hips while holding a smooth scabbard to her waist. Her onyx eyes shone with determination and confidence as she gazed warily at her downed opponent.

The stranger smirked, moved moved her hips to one side, and rested her katana over her shoulder, as a show of arrogance.

The brunette recovered and stood before the katana-wielding girl with menacing eyes. "You... you're here for him too."

The onyx-eyed girl's smirk only widened, aggravating the brunette. She turned to Motoko. "Looks like I came here a little late then."

Motoko was amazed at the amount of ki this woman was emanating. It was as much as her own if not more. And was that the Rock-Splitting sword?

"Wow." The girl suddenly mouthed. "I never thought your ki was as much as mine."

Motoko didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult.

"But that's to be expected right now, ne _Okaa-san_?" The newcomer grinned at her.

"**E-eh!?**"

She then turned to Keitaro who was still rattled from the first intruder's revelation. "Don't worry _Otou-san_. I'll make sure this thing doesn't bother you." she pointed her thumb at the other girl who seethed in rage.

"_Teme!_ Don't call me a 'thing'! And he's my father not yours!" She got ready into her battle stance, which was strangely similar to Seta's Jeet Kune Do.

"Bring it on!" She poised her katana and clashed with the girl in battle, leaving the two girls and the ronin to their awe-struck states.

_M-me and U-Urashima!? Th-that's ridiculous! That's just..._

_She called me her m-mom!? I-I don't remember anything about having a daughter!_

_N-Narusegawa... a-and M-Motoko-chan... Th-this is one messed up dream... I'd like to wake up now..._

Keitaro chose this time to faint while his two self-proclaimed daughters continued to clash in battle.

* * *

Ahaha! First Love Hina fanfic. Hoping for constructive criticism on this. 

Pairings unknown at the moment. A cookie given for anyone who figured out what's going on!

Review!


	2. Chapter 2: Flux

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 2 - Flux**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

This was certainly awkward. 

Before the Hinata-Sou tenants and Keitaro were two alluring teenage beauties, each having their injuries tended by the ever-helpful Shinobu. Apparently, the fight ended in a draw when both fighters just tired themselves out. Large craters were left on the front yard of the lodge as a reminder of the intense battle. That would, once again, mean that Keitaro would have to fix it in a later time.

That, however, was the least of his worries right now.

He, along with Narusegawa Naru and Aoyama Motoko, was facing a dilemma which he didn't quite understand. Both these mysterious young women have come from nowhere to tell him that they are both his daughters, and while that in itself is already preposterous, one has claimed that her mother was the de facto brunette leader of the Hinata beauties, while the other counters with her own mother being the resident raven-haired swordswoman. Also, the two don't seem to like each other.

Yup. Definitely awkward.

"There. It's done. I hope it's not too uncomfortable." The shy Maehara finished applying the medicine on the brunette's arm.

"Arigato, Shinobu-san." The young teen let out a pleasant smile, reminiscent of Naru's own.

It still irked her on how this woman knew her name, and that she claims to be Keitaro's daughter. She guessed they'd explain themselves afterwards. "It's your turn now." She turned to the other girl.

"I've had worse injuries Auntie Shinobu. This is only a scratch." She huffed proudly.

"A-auntie!?" Shinobu indignantly cried. _But you're older than I am!_

"Considering you're attire, you look more like you've _dealt _worse injuries than had them." The first stranger spat eyeing the clothes the other girl donned. It certainly made her look like a gang leader.

"You wanna start something, missy!?" She held her fist out to her. "Well at least I went easy on you earlier since I doubt you couldn't live a day with a scar on your pretty face. Could you bare a broken nail or two, little missy?" The raven-haired girl crossed her arms and smirked.

"What was that!?" The brunette stood abruptly, her anger flaring.

It was then that Keitaro decided to intervene. "Woah! That's enough! We don't want anymore damage to this building than there already is!" He waved frantically, stopping them both.

Both girls' features softened and they sat themselves down in civil obedience.

"Alright." The brunette smiled.

"Whatever you say." The masculine girl sighed boredly in defeat.

Keitaro was surprised at how obedient they were. "Ah? A-arigato..." Truthfully, it was a a foreign experience for him to be obeyed and treated with respect. It wasn't exactly something he experienced everyday.

"So..." Haruka spoke up with a stern voice. "... Care to explain your business here miss...?" She paused as a cue for them to introduce themselves.

"Megumi. Urashima Megumi. A pleasure to meet you all." The brunette gave a light bow from her seat.

"Chiyoko. Urashima Chiyoko." The raven-haired woman in the gang attire retained a relaxed expression, resting her head on her arms.

The elder Urashima was a bit perturbed by their supposed relation, though she had yet to confirm it. "I... see... and your business here would be?"

"_My_ business here is to secure the relationship and eventual marriage between my father, Urashima Keitaro, and my mother, Narusegawa Naru." Megumi put emphasis on the 'my' to diverge her motive from that of Chiyoko's.

"And I'm here to make sure _Otou-san-_" She points to Keitaro. "-and _Okaa-san_-" Then switches to Motoko. "-get together as a couple."

"Ah, I see." Keitaro nodded in understanding... Then his brain caught up with him. His eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"**What!?** **M-me a-and Narusegawa a-and M-Motoko!?**" His mind went into a frenzy, obviously flabbergasted at the thought. The same could be said with the two said girls who were red with embarrassment.

"W-who would want to be married to this moron!?" Naru shrieked.-_stab-_

"Th-that's right! He is a fool! Unfit to ever be a husband" Motoko added with great force. -_stab-_

"He has failed the Toudai exams three times!" -_stab- _-_stab-_

"He is a clumsy ape and lecherous pervert!" -_stab- _-_stab-_

**"He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever!!"** They both finished. -_stab- _-_stab- _-_stab- _-_stab- _-_stab-_

They turned their heads to see a Keitaro, with a strong air of depression looming over him after being stabbed emotionally, laying limply in a pool of his own tears. The other tenants exploded in laughter, except Shinobu who who had fainted from the revelations of the two 'daughters'.

Kitsune was enjoying this too much. She shook and howled in laughter, rolling on the floor and slamming her fist on the desk. Sarah joined in the fox woman's mirth, holding her abdomen as it began to throb painfully from her laughing.

"Alright, cut the joke Kitsune." Haruka voiced sternly.

"W-what... pffft... what do you mean?... haha!" The fox girl managed to squeak in between laughs.

"Call off your goons. The joke's over."

"T-trust me- Ahaha! I don't know anything about- aha! this!" Normally she would be one to pull a prank like this but considering her laid-back and lazy nature, she'd rather pull a trick or two when the opportunity presented itself rather than make an effort to plan things in the long run. And this was quite a well though-out prank, especially the fighting part.

"Hey! Hey! I figured it out!" It was then that the foreigner and resident mad scientist bounced down the stairs with one of her inventions. Thankfully, it didn't look like one of her more life-threatening creations.

"Wuzzat you got there?" Sarah looked over at her playmate's toy. It was square in shape with buttons, knobs, lights and a monitor aligned on its smooth metallic surface and it, like all of Su's trademark inventions, had the three eye MolMolian insignia. "A video game?"

"Naw. It's a Portable-Time-Space-Stability-Indicator!" She held her invention high for everyone to see.

"Porta-what now?"

"Well since I can't be bothered explaining all the details, I'll narrow it down. This machine senses anomalies within the time stream. It was picking up a signal a little while ago but I didn't notice since it was covered in banana." The dark-skinned tenant grinned in pride of her contraption.

"See this?" She pointed at the monitor which was flaring streaks of blue and yellow. "It's sensing an abnormality in the time stream. I checked it with to find that there was a flux in the time-space matrix, meaning that somehow, something got misplaced through time. Look closely at the figure." She pointed somewhere in the middle of the screen to outline a faint silhouette.

"It looks like a person!" Sarah observed.

"Yup! And there's another one too. See?" She moved her finger to another part of the screen.

"Yeah there is!" Sara looked on in fascination.

"But what does it all mean?" Naru queried while she managed to fan the comatose Shinobu back to consciousness.

"It means that someone has been tampering with time. In other words, time travel!"

"**Time travel?**" came the collective question of the tenants and Keitaro.

"Yeah I came here through a time machine from the future." Said Chiyoko nonchalantly from behind them. She had the feeling that they had already forgotten about her and the 'other girl'.

"Same here." Megumi added.

"Wait so you're for real!?" Kitsune spoke up.

"You thought we were lying? That's mean Aunt Kitsune." Chiyoko smirked amusedly.

"I got here through Auntie Su's time machine, and I assume she got here through the same way." Megumi referred to the girl next to her.

"You can't be serious!"

"'Fraid I am serious. Look _Okaa-san_..." The boyishly-cut girl unsheathed her sword and presented it to the Aoyama.

Her eyes widened. "N-no! It can't be! _Shisui_!" Motoko took hold of the sword tied at her waist and placed it side-by-side with Chiyoko's. "They... They are identical! No.. they are one and the same! They are _Shisui_!" This was enough hard evidence. Though there were a few more hints of aging in that of Chiyoko's, a swordsman knows his weapon well enough to recognize them among others and it truly was Motoko's prized sword.

"H-how did this...?"

"10th Birthday." She answered simply.

"Mama! This necklace..." She removed the cross necklace from her person and handed it to Naru.

Naru recognized it. "This is my necklace!" She eyed her own necklace taking in every detail and looking back at the other one. Megumi's was chipped a bit on the sides, but other than that, it really was the same necklace.

"I actually have a few more of them with me." She produced a small intricate wooden box which had all kinds of jewelry that Naru was all too familar with.

Realization struck Keitaro. "S-so that means that... I.. a-and she.. a-and her... we are..." Keitaro began to stutter.

The supposed Aoyama descendant grinned toothily. "Yup! You're getting married to her _Otou-san_." She jabbed her thumb at herself "And I'm here to make sure it happens."

"Not unless I make sure he gets married to _my_ mother!" Megumi held on to her recently confirmed mother-to-be by the arm. Naru froze.

"Hmph! _Okaa-san_'s stronger than her! _Otou-san_ will surely fall for _Okaa-san_!" Chiyoko patted her mother on the shoulder. Motoko froze.

They were going to be mothers. Both of them. And the father of these children was going to be... They turned to the limp manager that had fainted once again.

* * *

The girl watched from a relative distance, through the window of the Hinata lodge, the events that transpired inside the Inn. She wore a blank expression, neither flinching nor reacting to the demented goings-on inside. She continued to observe quietly, taking note of the different people and the one man that seemed to be the center of it all. 

Urashima Haruka looked out the window, her keen senses picking up what may have been a presence.

There was no one there.

* * *

Hehe. Second chapter up! The next chapters will take a lot of thinking considering the timelines and events of the manga so it may be a while before I update. 

Review!

_Omake:_

"Hey Su." Sarah called out. "Why did you even make that device to begin with?" She pointed at the machine still in her playmate's hand.

Su grinned sheepishly. "Well ya see... I wanted to construct my own ice-cream making machine to make my very own banana split! But I realized that I didn't know what ice cream was made of so I tweaked the machine a bit and it ended up as a Portable-Time-Space-Stability-Indicator."

"You.. tweaked the machine '_a bit_'?" _What the hell kind of ice cream were you going to make?_


	3. Chapter 3: Stumbling

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 3 - Stumbling**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

Destiny had a bad tendency to be a prick, especially to one Urashima Keitaro. This situation proved that fact. 

Let's recap: Two teenage beauties have come to the doorsteps of the Hinata-Sou, sewing chaos in their wake through a small misunderstanding (as with all of Keitaro's interactions with women) and an all-out battle. The alluring brunette with a fiery temper introduced herself to be Urashima Megumi, the future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Narusegawa Naru, along with Urashima Chiyoko, the raven-haired tomboy swordswoman and future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Aoyama Motoko. As their name and origin applies, they have come from the future on a mission: Ensure the love and marriage of their own parents to secure their eventual birth. Seeing each other as a threat to that mission, the two saw themselves as adversaries, almost immediately disliking one another.

Needless to say, Keitaro's life has just gotten more interesting if not much more twisted than it already was.

* * *

After validating their provenance using the resident mad genius's recently created Portable-Time-Space-Origin-Tracer and a DNA Analyzer (as opposed to the simpler method of just making and using a lie-detector), the time-traveling duo were immediately interviewed of their familial backgrounds and chronological origins. Well, in all actuality, they were more interrogated than interviewed, courtesy of the foxy Konno. 

The two pervert-bashers were still in a state of shock, neither were going to budge from their stupor anytime soon. They visualized the possibility of marrying the three-time ronin which served to distress them further. While, initially, the thought was appalling to them, disgusted to have a 'pervert' like him for a husband, but a nagging voice inside was telling them otherwise.

The unconscious form of the kanrinrin continued to lay still, mulling over his thoughts on the matter. The aspect of knowing he would end up having a daughter with one of the tenants never ceased to rattle his mind. Though quite appealing, he doubted that they would have any kind of feelings for him. The shock was enough to knock him out cold. Well the shock, and the severe unexplained beating he got from two peeved beauties. It was mostly from the shock though.

With the addition of two unlikely members, the Hinata-Sou family grew in number and eccentricity. The two said women were now currently enjoying their first dinner with the whole family present, including Otohime Mutsumi and, out of morbid curiosity, Urashima Haruka. The atmosphere was pleasant and conversation was plenteous amongst the tenants and their guests, though the two Toudai aspirants and the Shinmeiryuu heir were silent most of the time.

Unbeknownst to the people present, the seating arrangements were secretly planned out by not only the two Urashima daughters but also the resident fox, Konno Kitsune, taking the opportunity for a new means of entertainment. Sitting at one side of the table was Keitaro. Parallel to him were Motoko and Naru who were at first reluctant to be seated next to him, but found no other alternative. Megumi and Chiyoko sat themselves next to their respective mothers. It was an awkward seating but enough to set their plans in motion.

"Could you please pass the sauce?" Megumi politely asked.

Keitaro was about to comply when his hand brushed against that of Naru's, who also intended to do the same. They retracted suddenly and, instead of the usual 'socking his face in until next Tuesday', she looked away embarrassedly, muttering an apology that was barely heard. Megumi smiled.. They'd already forgotten about the sauce.

Chiyoko observed the scene with one open eye, pretending to be immersed in her drink. Not to be outdone by her nemesis, she formulated a plan of her own. Stealthily, she slipped one chopstick underneath the table and poked at her mother's side making her jump away in surprise.

"Ah!?"

The result was that Motoko ended up with her entire forearm brushing against Keitaro's. She pulled back into her seat with great speed, drinking from her tea as if nothing happened also to hide the incredible blush that donned her face. Chiyoko smirked triumphantly. Megumi scowled. Kitsune could barely hold in her laughter at this point. Haruka mentally sighed and shook her head. It was going to be a long night.

Thinking that this could escalate to a much more violent competition, Haruka decided to strike up a conversation with the two other Urashima women. "So you two," The girls turned their attention to the elder Urashima. "Having the same father and different mothers, does that make you half-sisters?"

"_**Pffft!!"**_ Was the unified spitting out of tea followed by coughing. The three in between the addressed had choked on their own tea at the sudden question. They were already quite uncomfortable with the situation, but now the aspect of Keitaro having a daughter with both Naru and Motoko at the same time was just atrocious. And they all happened to be in the process of drinking tea when the statement was made.

Megumi and Chiyoko gave her an incredulous look. They turned to each other. Then back at Haruka.

There was a snicker. Followed by full blown laughter.

"Ahahaha! Are you kidding! Like hell I'd have her as my half-sister!"

"Papa would never be so fickle! Hahaha!"

They laughed as if she had said something stupid. "So what does that mean? If you're not half-sisters-"

"We came from alternate futures. That's why we're here." Megumi cut her off.

"We wanna make sure that _Tou-san_ gets married to the woman that gives birth to one of us." Chiyoko continued.

"I see..." Haruka could tell that there was something they were leaving out, but she decided to ignore it for now.

* * *

Dinner continued as normal as it could have, with many attempts the two daughters made to get their respective soon-to-be-parents closer. Keitaro couldn't help but blush madly at the attention and unexpected contact. Thankfully, the two women seated next to him made no attempt to give him their usual 'divine retribution'. Thoughts of matrimonial union always came up with every small touch and contact the two made with the kanrinrin. It was so flustering that they'd neglect to deal 'proper punishment' to him. 

_What's wrong with me? I usually just hit him if he so much as touches me. But now..._

_Maybe I am unwell... Yes that must be it! All this stress must be the reason I am reacting unusually around Urashima..._

The Toudai aspirant and Shinmeiryuu swordswoman convinced themselves, but there was still that nagging feeling that they found hard to ignore.

A soft rumbling was felt that shook and made ripples in the sauces and tea. Some of the more keen tenants noticed. It came again with a little more force and slightly louder.

"Did you hear that?" Keitaro was getting concerned.

"It was probably my stomach." Su grinned and continued scarfing down her food.

"I-is it an earthquake?" Shinobu was shaking a bit in fear.

"No. It's coming from outside." Motoko along with Chiyoko readied their _Shisui_'s. Haruka prepared herself for what would be coming.

It was much more unpredictable than anyone thought.

_**BAM! CRASH!**_

Just then that the wall of the dining room had been breached and broken by a large projectile that continued its collision course into the unfortunate Urashima Keitaro.

_**WHAM!**_

The object rammed into him, sending Keitaro, along with itself, flying into the next room.

"Holy hell!" Exclaimed Chiyoko, surprised at the damage dealt.

The tenants ran after Keitaro, seeing if he was injured. They did find him, underneath the cause of the damage to the wall. It was softer than the ronin thought.

"Keitaro! What the hell are you doing!?" Naru shrieked.

"Mmmpf!?" Was Keitaro's muffled reply. Something was smothering the ronin's face, making it hard for him to speak, much less breathe.

"Ah? Excuse me." The projectile lifted herself up from Keitaro, but that only gave them all a clear view of where Keitaro's head rested.

_Those are huge!!_

Two cottony-soft mounds were lifted away from the ronin's face, giving him a clear view of their owner's heavenly facet.

The woman tilted her head adorably, as if not sure about where she was at the moment. Indeed it was an angelic face, softened like that of an innocent child but there were noticeable clumps of ash and dirt on it.. Her brown bangs weaved down all the way to her back while a few of wavy strands of it rested atop her large bust. Despite looking young and innocent, the young woman had a sizable bosom, accentuated by her small sleeveless beige sweater which looked to be a bit singed. Her soft curvy legs were hugged by her denim jeans. Her large chocolate brown eyes were heartwarming and deep, with a smile that radiated with serenity

The lovely female specimen lifted herself off him, and looked about the room and the damage dealt to it. She dusted herself of any dirt and place her palm on her cheek.

"Ah, gomen gomen. I didn't think I would destroy your wall." Came the woman's apology. Her voice was quite gentle as well.

_Isn't this girl hurt at all!? She just crashed through a wall!_ These were the thoughts of many of the tenants as the woman picked out lint from her hair, seemingly unscathed and unaffected from the collision.

Naru decided to step up. "U-umm.. Excuse me?" The woman turned to her with a loving smile. "C-could I ask how you were launched into our wall like that?"

The stranger put a forefinger to her lips and thought for a moment. "Well... It started out when I was walking around the streets of Hinata. There were some drunk people walking around the street. I bumped into one and they took offence at it."

"And they sent you flying here!?" Motoko snapped, like her usual male-hating self, thinking of how uncouth and barbaric those males were.

"No no. They didn't really know who bumped into them, so they started throwing insults at random people. Such colorful language. And a brawl started and I happened to be in the middle of it. I managed to swerve my way out when one of them kicked me by accident."

"And that's how you got here?"

"Not exactly. The man only kicked me with enough force to knock me into the road. That's when the truck came."

"A truck hit you!?"

"No. Actually it swerved at the last second, barely missing me and hitting a street lamp. It was the payload that fell off the truck that hit me."

"Err... Didn't that hurt?"

"Not really, though it did stink. The tank was full of gasoline and it was spilling all over the place. Then the street lamp fell on the leakage and sparked a fire. Then the fire trucks came and knocked me into nearby traffic. Then there was an accident and..." She continued on and on, counting the mishaps with her fingers. The Hinata Sou tenants sweated more with each unfortunate occurrence mentioned.

Haruka put her palm up as a signal to stop her. "I err.. I-I think that's enough. But what we're concerned about is your health. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine! Absolutely fine!" She put her arms up in a mock flex.

"How could you be fine with all that stuff happening to you!?" said Naru with an unbelieving tone.

"Well. I was born lucky, but at the same time, unlucky. And I am invincible, just like my father!" She beamed at them.

"Ah... I see..." A pause. "... wait..."

"**Invincible?**"

**"JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!!!???"** The most of the tenants screamed incredulously.

She grinned toothily. "That's right. My name's Urashima Katsumi. Daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Otohime Mutsumi. Nice to meet you." She bowed.

Many of the tenants jaws were hung low in shock. The two time-travelers eyed the newcomer warily. Su was oblivious. Mutsumi looked on as if it were a normal incident.

"By the way, would you happen to know a place named Hinata-Sou? I need to get there but I'm kinda lost." Katsumi grinned sheepishly.

* * *

Meheh... Erm.. Sorry to disappoint anyone who only wanted Chiyoko and Megumi as his daughters, but I am the one writing this after all. 

A bit late with the update. I usually update earlier. Also, if you're a fan of Ouran High School Host Club (like me) check out my other fic, "Unseen". It is an OC fic but from the reviews I get with it (170 reviews so far) people find it quite good. You don't have to, but I'd appreciate it if you drop me a review there too.

Review!


	4. Chapter 4: So Wrong

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 4 - So Wrong**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

_**RING! RING! RING! RI- Click!**_

"Five more minutes..." mumbled the ronin in the sheets of his futon, as he shut off the alarm and turned over on his side trying to enter peaceful sleep once again. After yesterday, he needed it.

Urashima Keitaro has known for the time he has spent in Hinata-Sou, things were never normal there. A flying hot-spring turtle, a hyperactive 13-year old mad scientist, and a dangerous ki-wielding swordswoman to name a few of those things. The man thought he'd seen everything.

Then '_they_' came.

His alleged daughters came over that one night, making his already haphazard life much more chaotic. At first, Keitaro found it quite flattering, knowing that he'd have a future with one of the tenants. Imagine his surprise when he found the possibility of having one out of three, and a daughter with each of them as well. Although, after experiencing the trouble they caused (in many painful forms), he officially confirmed that destiny got a kick out of making his life hell.

Take yesterday for example, around after his third daughter 'formally' introduced herself and was acquainted with the rest...

* * *

_Keitaro busied himself in making a temporary makeshift replacement wall, hammering the nails on the cheap wood. The others took up the job of cleaning the mess up. Most of them anyway, with the exception of Kitsune, and Sarah not wanting to have any part of manual labor, and Haruka who decided to return to her teahouse at that moment. Su was willing to help though, but Keitaro thought better of it knowing that she'd invent something to 'help' clean up 'faster'. He instead insisted that she play with Sarah._

_"Otou-san!" came the whisper of an angelic voice from behind him._

_"Gah!" Keitaro shrieked in surprise as he turned to face the perpetrator. "M-Mutsumi!?"_

_She giggled. "No Otou-san. It's Katsumi! Ka-tsu-mi!"_

_"A-ah. I see..." Upon closer inspection of her face, she actually resembled the turtle-loving Otohime a lot albeit a bit younger._

_She stared into his eyes thoughtfully. I reminded him of what Mutsumi did once before. Then it was followed up with a-_

_"Mmm!?" Keitaro was taken away from his reminiscing when something soft pressed against his lips. He then realized that it was actually her lips._

_He pulled back abruptly, after half a second she started the kiss, letting his morality take control. "K-Katsumi!!" He shouted. 'That was **so very wrong**!!' Were his thoughts._

_"You got my name right!" She smiled, oblivious to the menacing advance of two pervert-bashers towards her father._

_A good bashing and a reprimanding from two time travelers later, Naru and Motoko went over to speak with Katsumi of her behavior._

_"K-Katsumi-san! H-he's your father!" Exclaimed Naru, pointing a finger at Keitaro's beaten form._

_"Th-that's right! What you've done is wrong!" Motoko backed her up._

_"Ara? But isn't kissing a way of saying 'I love you'?" The way she spoke reminded them too much of Mutsumi._

_"W-Wh-What!?"_

_"I love my father. Isn't it natural to love your father?" She tilted her head to the side._

_"O-of course. But not like-"_

_"I love my mother too. See." She walked over to Mutsumi's side and gave her a peck on the lips, similar to what she did to the kanrinrin._

_**"WHAAAA!!??"**_

_Mutsumi put a finger to her lips and smiled. "That's really nice of you Katsumi-chan."_

_"Arigato, Okaa-san."_

_Many of the tenants hung their jaws low in shock. One fainted. Another was oblivious. And the last fought the urge to have his nose erupt into a spectacular nosebleed._

_Mutsumi's daughter looked around the room questioningly before smiling again. "Ara? Would anyone else like a kiss?"_

* * *

Keitaro grumbled to himself. He didn't feel like going back to sleep even if he wanted to, so he resigned himself to the day, hoping that he could live through it with his sanity still intact. He sat up, and stretched away the kinks from his body, He stood... Well he would have if something wasn't weighing him down. Something that seemed to be wrapped around his waist. A sense of dread washed over him.

_Is Kami-sama kind enough to spare me of what maybe a woman that is wrapped around me?_

He looked down, finding a tuft of grown hair attached to that of one Urashima Katsumi.

_I must have been an ass in my past life._

"WAAAAAAAAHH!!!!" Keitaro exploded in surprise, the woman still snuggling tightly against his stomach.

The hole in the ceiling of the roof opened revealing a groggy and angry Naru. "Stop making noise this early in the morn...ing..." Her voice died at out as she surveyed the scene before her. Then came the expected reaction.

"Kei... Ta... Ro!!!!!" She seethed through grit teeth, her eyes taking up a demonic form and her fist shook menacingly.

* * *

Chiyoko woke to the sound of screaming, followed by loud and rapid footsteps. Her head throbbed lightly, a hangover due to her late night 'new-tenant-get-together' with Kitsune. _So much sake..._

She didn't want to bother with what was going on, so she chose to ignore it and sat up on the couch she fell asleep on. Taking her chest bindings, she stretched her arms and back, hearing a few satisfying cracks. She didn't like sleeping with the bindings on since it was quite uncomfortable, letting her ample bosom free in her loose white t-shirt.

It was then that her alleged father-to-be stumbled down the stairs, Katsumi clinging onto him dreamily, still sleeping. Keitaro stopped in front of her to catch his breath. Lugging a girl around while running for dear life was an exercise he found tiring. He took a brief look at his side, and stared.

Chiyoko was in quite a suggestive pose. Her back was arched forwards, accentuating the shape of her chest. Her arms twisted around behind her lifting her shirt a bit at the side, revealing her slender waist. She wore short blue shorts, much like the kind Kitsune wore. It showed her muscled but slender legs as they coiled around into a seating position.

The swordswoman blinked at her father quizzically, before putting a palm up in greeting. "Yo. _Tou-san_." She grinned.

Keitaro shook from his ogling and proceeded to bang his head on the floor, his morals telling him to do so. He couldn't do it for long though since Naru was closing in.

"Keitaro!!" Came an angered cry.

"Gah! Excuse me Chiyoko-chan!" He sprinted away again, dragging the clingy Katsumi with him, with the infuriated Naru in close pursuit.

* * *

A loud yawn escaped from the brunette's lips as she rummaged through the refrigerator, getting the ingredients Shinobu wanted to start breakfast with. Being an early bird out of habit, she happened to meet the shy girl as she was going about preparing to cook one of her great delicacies. She knew of her Auntie Shinobu's skill with cooking and decided to help her out partly out of kindness and to speed up breakfast due to her hunger.

She caught ear of the noise coming from upstairs. She looked to Shinobu questioningly.

"It's only Senpai-I mean your father. The person chasing him is stomping really loudly so I'd have to guess that it's Naru-senpai chasing him." She smiled knowingly though still felt a bit uncomfortable about it since her beloved senpai was going to be pummeled mercilessly.

"Well if it's mama, I'll let it slide. Mama does it all the time even after they get married." She giggled as she recalled the antics her parents would always get themselves into. It was all in good fun though, and she didn't hit as hard as she does now. Shinobu could only sweat at her words, feeling a little sad and also sympathetic on the inside.

The footsteps became louder and more rapid, along with the hysterical screaming. It was then that the landlord ran towards them, Katsumi still hanging off his waist. He collided with her, not enough to make her fall over though. His head was buried somewhere... Somewhere soft.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Papa!" Greeted Megumi.

"Aaaahh!!!" Keitaro removed himself from her and shook his head violently before bounding for the door.

Naru followed afterwards, her face contorted into an angry scowl. And lastly, wearing suggestive clothing, Chiyoko swiftly dashed after them, Shisui in hand, intent on protecting her father from the wrath of the lethal Naru-punch.

"Oi! Leave _Tou-san_ alone!" Cried Chiyoko.

Seeing her nemesis leave to score points with her father, she ran after them. "He's my papa, and Mama can do what she wants with him!"

"Keitaro! Get back here!"

"Help me!"

"Mmm... _Otou-san_ smells nice..."

* * *

+So they've proven it to be true?+ asked the woman on the phone.

"Yes _Ane-ue_. They have all proven to be his daughters, and each have a different mother." Motoko replied.

And you're one of those mothers, yes?+ Tsuroko asked teasingly.

"Y-yes. B-but that is of no relevance." The Shinmeiryuu heir stuttered. Tsuroko simply enjoyed making her sister uncomfortable.

Very well. Keep me posted then.+

"Of course Ane-ue." She hung up the phone, still slightly flushed from the teasing sent her way. Talking with her sister was always taxing mentally, so she opted to ignore the loud shouting from outside and headedf for the roof to meditate.

* * *

The Urashima landlord panted, catching his breathe somewhere outside the Hinata complex. "I think... I lost them..." He spoke tiredly. Indeed there didn't seem to be anyone pursuing him anymore and Katsumi had fallen sometime during his escape. Finally, a moment of peace.

"Oi, Keitaro!" the familiar voice of Urashima Haruka beckoned to him.

The tired kanrinrin sighed. _Oh well... At least she's bearable..._ "Yes, Haruka-oba-I mean, Haruka?" He mentally berated himself for almost making that same mistake he usually did. _I'm really tired right now, so I'm not in the mood to be hit..._

The Urashima woman approached him, eyeing his exhausted state. "What happened to you?"

"Errr... Long story..." He grinned sheepishly.

She shrugged. "Well come over here. I need your help with something."

"H-hai." And he followed her as she lead the way down the massive steps of Hinata-Sou. Keitaro assumed that she was going to have him do some work in her cafe. The thought made him sigh again. Labor meant the expense of energry, which he had little of after the tiresome antics of that morning.

After reaching the midpoint of the stares, she spun around suddenly and latched onto him, forcing the man into the ground.

"Wah!?" Keitaro took a while to get his senses back to normal. He found two tan eyes baring into his own chocolate brown ones. "H-Haruka!?"

The woman smirked and leaned her head closer to his, making him sweat profusely. "Just relax..." She whispered huskily letting her breath tickle his neck.

Keitaro went into full panic mode, trying his best to resist the woman's strong grip. "W-wait! Th-this is wrong! Stop!!" His protests were ignored and she continued to sink her head closer.

"What the hell?" The two turned their heads to the source of the voice.

Urashima Haruka stood their with her eye twitching, her cigarette dropping from her mouth. Her face spelled shock and confusion at the scene.

"There's two of you!!?" Keitaro screamed, trying even harder to free himself from the doppelganger's clutches.

"_Onii-san_ wait! It's only me, Kanako! Your sister!" The 'Haruka' that was on him sat up on his waist and removed her mask revealing a pale face and raven-black hair. "See?"

The ronin gazed at the pale woman who indeed bore a resemblance to his sister. "It is you Kanako!" He exclaimed.

"That's right. So you can calm down now, _Onii-san_." She then continued her advance.

"No! It's still wrong!! It's just as bad!! Help!!"

"Found you Keitaro!" Naru flared and ran towards him, fist at the ready, with Chiyoko and Megumi tailing behind.

Haruka only watched, feeling a bit dirty at what could have happened since Kanako was impersonating her. She shuddered.

* * *

Kuro floated aimlessly next to the large old-fashioned dorm, taking in the sights and assorted places there. The cat had met a flying onsen turtle during its trek and they exchanged greetings before continuing their merry way. Kuro spotted a girl coming her way and stopped hovering to avoid scaring her. The girl picked the cat up and stroked it affectionately, earning a content purr from the feline. Her expression was blank as she observed the incident at the stairs with a calculating eye. Noting the arrival of the landlord's sister.

She placed the cat down and went away, disappearing as she turned a corner.

"The residents are kinda weird-Nyaa..." The cat thought out loud.

* * *

Ehehe... So much suggestive incest... Thought it would be funny.

Well anyways, more to come in the later chapters. I'm still not entirely sure how I should go about this though, whether I'll do the story the way I want it or ask for your opinion on the next chapters. As much as I enjoy writing this, I'd also like the readers to enjoy as well. Send me a few suggestions if you'd like. Also, I'd appreciate it if people were to point out the flaws in my story, be it to short, grammar errors, or opinions on the story in general.

Criticism is welcome. Flames aren't.

Reviews are my anti-drug.


	5. Chapter 5: Royalty

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 5 - Royalty**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

After a few introductions, fainting, and silent pledges of bloody murder, the tenants were now acquainted with the latest addition to their ever-growing family. Kanako, the pale-skinned possessive sister of Urashima Keitaro, had officially joined the ranks of the 'Make-Keitaro's-Life-Utterly-And-Violently-Problematic' faction, namely, every other female living in the Inn-turned-Dorm. This, of course, like all occasions of somewhat similar nature that happen in Hinata-Sou, spurred a call for celebration from Konno 'Kitsune' Mitsune and, before the poor landlord could protest, the plans for the party were already set in motion by the crafty fox girl. Given little time to adjust or reflect on the recent goings-on, Keitaro reluctantly acceded to the girls wishes, knowing that she'd look for any excuse to party and that he needed something to occupy his mind from the situation anyway. Probably some sake. _Lots_ of sake.

In all actuality, he was quite glad to see his sister again despite their little 'reunion' just a few moments ago. He thought nothing of it though, thinking it was a harmless joke, but the eerie feeling of foreboding didn't go away even after he convinced himself of that. Still, a party's a party, and there's enough alcohol to drown his recent problems in.

The festivities were set to full gear with food and drinks served all around in commemoration of the four newest members of the Hinata Harem. Even Haruka decided to join them in their fun. While most of the residents felt themselves unwind to the happy atmosphere, nearly forgetting the situation they were in, three of the girls stood a bit at the sidelines, watching the celebration unfold.

"_Yare, yare_. This only makes my job harder." Chiyoko scratched her head lightly in irritation, with her other hand holding a bottle of sake. The second raven-haired swordswoman to enter the doors of Hinata had her brows knit in thought. Already, the success of her mission was put into jeopardy with the appearance of her aunt. She recalled that frequently during her childhood, Kanako would challenge her mother in a not-so-friendly spar and she would always have her father watch them as if to show off in front of him. Motoko would always win of course.

"Eh? Why would it be a problem?" Megumi gulped down another cup of the rice wine, her face becoming slightly rosy. Unlike her mother, she was never one to quickly assume things as they appear. In fact she took more after her father in this case: Downright oblivious. She never really took note of the looks Kanako sent her brother's way when she thought no one was looking and she gave no real thought to the state the brunette found her father and aunt in at the stairs. The girl chalked it up to a loving bond between siblings.

"_Ara_? I didn't know _Otousan_ was so popular with the ladies. But I think that's why I'm here." Katsumi giggled bemusedly to herself. Sure she had nearly the denseness of both her mother and father combined, but when it came to the matters of the heart, she was quite accurate in her assumptions. It was, after all, how she got some of her old friends to hook up with their significant others.

Motoko's daughter smirked. "Looks like I'll have to turn it up a bit." She downed the rest of her bottle and raced over to her mother who was eating peacefully on one of the tables.

"_Oi_! I won't be beaten by you!" The proceeded to Naru's side with a bit of difficulty due to the alcohol in her system.

Katsumi giggled again and joined her own mother in the mirth of the celebration.

* * *

Kanako was secretly enjoying herself already, being within close proximity of her beloved older brother. They shared in small talk, asking of the well-being of the other and whatnot. Keitaro would also give her these loving pets on her head. She knew it was out of brotherly love but she felt elated all the same by his touch. The kanrinrin would also hear what sounded suspiciously like a purr from Kanako, but the cat that sat on her lap laid his suspicions to rest. At least he _thought_ it was the cat.

Her brother was then pulled away by a few of the girls, intent on having their fun with him. She glared at said women, but they didn't seem to notice.

The adopted Urashima still had trouble coping with the presence of the beautiful females surrounding Keitaro. She could already sense the subtle attraction felt for him inside each of them and she intended to stomp on those feelings. He even had daughters with some of them! From the future no less! It was confusing, but she knew what she had to do.

_For my promise, I will have those women evicted. Then I'll turn this place back into an inn, and I will have Onii-san all to myself._ She giggled dreamily as she thought of her future plans with her older brother.

It was then that the de facto leader of the Hinata Harem, namely Narusegawa Naru, approached the daydreaming girl. "Hey Kanako-chan." The brunette greeted but was met with cold eyes. She felt a little nervous. "_Eto_... If this is about me hitting your brother, then I-"

"I will not lose to you." Kanako snapped suddenly, cutting her off. She then stood and searched for her brother.

Naru sat there with a mix of confusion and dread.

* * *

"_Ne, ne,_ _Kaa-san_." Addressed Chiyoko to her soon-to-be-mother, Aoyama Motoko.

Motoko lost her composure a bit at the sound of her daughter's voice. "Y-yes, Chiyoko-chan?" She gave a nervous grin. In truth she was still getting used to this whole daughters-from-the-future thing and was afraid that she could have gone mad.

"I'll be blunt _Kaa-san_." She sat herself down next to the Aoyama. "Do you like Keitaro?"

Then came the expected reaction.

"**Pfffft!**" The Shinmeiryuu heiress promptly spit out the tea contents in her mouth and followed it with a coughing fit. It was an amusing sight to see the normally refined swordswoman to act so uncivilized and easily subjected to show an outrageous reaction.

"W-w-what!? N-no!-I mean yes!-No! H-he's a foul male!-I mean, he's not all bad and-W-what am I saying!?" She trailed off, babbling like an idiot. Truthfully, she had wanted to express distaste at the idea but Keitaro was still Chiyoko's father and she didn't think the girl would enjoy having someone badmouth the manager, especially by her own mother. That, and a familiar nagging feeling told her that she wasn't speaking the whole truth.

Chiyoko snickered at her mother's reaction. "It's alright. You don't have to get all flustered about it _Kaa-san_. I guess your still kinda getting used to knowing you might have a daughter in the future." She poured herself some sake. "If it makes you feel any better, we'll talk about it after the party, 'kay?"

"Erm... Very well." Motoko regained her composure.

"Cheers." The tomboy proposed a toast and Motoko complied, clinking her cup with her daughter's.

* * *

"Megumi-chan, you shouldn't drink so much!" Naru chided her daughter-to-be's behavior as she drank what was probably her 15th cup of sake.

"Don't worry about it, Mama. I'm fine." Megumi managed to mutter. Her face was flushed and her words were a little slurred so it wasn't all that convincing.

The Toudai aspirant grumbled audibly at how stubborn her daughter was. It was one of the other traits she had but she had foregone her low tolerance to alcohol at least.

"Mama." Megumi spoke up in tone that didn't give away her inebriation. "I know it's a little hard to get used to all this, but I am your daughter. You have to believe me." Naru remained silent but showed no doubt. "I can tell you about it in length later. I know you have many questions. I just hope that you can accept me as your daughter, Mama."

Naru smiled. She was starting to feel like a mother already. It was true that this whole situation was just so crazy to her. Time-traveling daughters from divergent futures was an outrageous concept to bare. Sure they had a flying onsen turtle but it wasn't as absurd as this. What's more, it was _her_ daughter that was amongst them. One that she would bare with Keitaro. Her mind wouldn't even consider the thought, but her heart told her otherwise. "Alright Megumi-chan."

"_Yosh_! Now for another cup!" The younger brunette grinned in a tipsy fashion and reached for another bottle of the rice wine, despite the protests of her mother.

* * *

Mutsumi busied herself with another of her watermelons, having copious amounts of its seeds sticking to her cheek and lips. Katsumi waved to her and took a watermelon of her own.

"_Ara_, Katsumi-chan. I didn't know you liked watermelons too." The busty Okinawan rubbed the side of her face, removing a few of the seeds.

"That was one of the only things you fed me when I was small _Okaa-san_." She beamed and took a bite from the slice of the red and green melon. They ate in silence for a few moments, alternating from the watermelon, to drinking tea.

"_Okaa-san_. You like _Otou-san_, right?" Katsumi spoke with an air of conviction but still retained a gentleness in her voice and face.

Mutsumi's smile grew wider. "I love your father, Katsumi-chan."

There was another bout of silence.

"That's good." The splitting-image of her mother imitated the smile as she stared at her reflection in the surface of her tea.

* * *

The party was starting to die down a bit. The sake was running out, the food was nearly finished, and people were feeling exhausted. Keitaro thought it was nearly about time to end this party when a hand snaked itself around his chest and warm breathe tickled his ear.

"Keitarooo..." whispered an intoxicated Kitsune in a sing-song tone as she pressed herself on the manager's back. She grinned as she felt him sweat nervously. "You wouldn't mind getting us more sake would you." The resident fox traced her fingers on his chest earning her a yelp. It was too much fun to tease someone like him, and the benefits she could reap from it were always plentiful.

Before she could press the advance however, she heard a whizzing sound coming straight at...

_**BOOM!!**_

Her.

Kitsune emerged from the smoking debris covered in grime and ash. "_-cough- -cough-_ Su! What was that for!?" She grit her teeth at the foreigner girl who only looked at her curiously.

"It wazzn' me!" Su grinned innocently.

"Oh yeah!? Then who was it!? Sarah!?"

The tanned girl giggled. "No. It was that guy." She pointed to the side where a figure stood with its arm outstretched.

"Wha-?" Kitsune, along with the other tenants gawked at the person who seemed to be garbed in armor that looked to be commonly seen in sci-fi video games and movies. The dark blue armor had neon seams that streaked from the chest area and bright blue lights would stream from it and spread out on the plate of the armor. It looked like it was made of large scales that shimmered at the light of the sun. The arms were bulky and so was the back, which gave the impression that they housed weapons in them. The helmet, though having a wide glass visor, showed nothing of the face that occupied it. Its gauntlets were put in the shape of a claw and the greaves were designed intricately sharp. The outstretched arm had a smoking tube-like barrel which the tenants guessed where the rocket originated from.

"Uuoo! _Suge_! Final Boss!!" Su shouted excitedly as she eyed the stranger who looked reminiscent of the enemies she fought in one of her video games.

The stranger flicked his wrist, launching another rocket at the crowd from the barrel on his arm. The tenants braced for impact but two of the girls stepped up to it.

"**Air Splitting Sword!**" came a unified cry as crisscrossing waves of ki impacted with the explosive, causing it to discharge before it could reach its targets.

"Your form is sloppy, Chiyoko-chan." commented the taller swordswoman as she smirked triumphantly.

"Tch. I still hit it, didn't I?" Chiyoko addressed her mother copying her mother's expression as they stood in a pose side-by-side.

"_Suge_, Motoko-chan! Chiyoko-chan!" Keitaro cheered.

"You go Motoko and Chiyoko!" Su joined in.

Before the two could grin proudly, the armored stranger geared up again, holding a green disk. Aoyama and daughter stood at the ready as the disk was launched towards them only to slow down in mid-air.

"Myuu_uu_uu..." whimpered a dizzy Tamago as she revealed her head from her green shell alerting the two swordswomen.

K

k

ka

ka

Kame...

_**"KAME!!!!!"**_ The raven-haired beauties stepped back rapidly and ran off in a hysterical manner, trying to outrun the other.

Everyone blinked at the scene. Then sweated at the sense of dread they were feeling.

"Ohohohohoho! As expected of someone so weak!" Came a shrill and pompous laugh. The residents turned their heads to the source, the armored stranger which, judging by the voice, was a woman. Said perpetrator had the back of her hand put across her mouth as she guffawed like a rich snob. "Oh! Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself." She flicked a button on the collar of the armor it disassembled itself into a backpack, revealing an exotic beauty.

_Oh no... Don't tell me she's..._ Keitaro's sense of dread only multiplied tenfold.

The woman had delicate tanned skin which seemed to have received years of pampering. On her lean and athletic build, she wore an exotic beige top and skirt that was lined in what looked like tribal patterns. Her green eyes carried arrogance in them and her long gray hair was combed neatly with assorted decorations of jewelry and gold adorning it. She carried herself with an air of grace and dignity that seemed more grandiose than tranquil.

She flicked her hair in a regal fashion. "I am the gem of the desert land! The lady of the sands! Daughter of the great king Keitaro Urashima and his beloved wife and queen Kaolla Su! I am..." She turned about, showing the familiar three-eyed insignia on her armor bag.

"... Yunalla Su! Princess of the Kingdom of Molmol! Ohohohohoho!" She trialed off laughing in that creepy manner of hers.

Keitaro had tears flowing comically from his eyes.

_WHY ME!!??_

* * *

Ehehe... I think Keitaro hates me now...

Anyway, I want to clarify a few things with the existing daughters:

Megumi, though somewhat like her mother, has her mother's temper but her father's compassion and dense observation abilities.

Chiyoko's name is like that because it is similar to her mother's. Three syllables and ends with -ko. It also applied to Motoko's sister, Tsuroko, So I thought 'I should do it that way too.'

Katsumi is the same case along with that of her attitude because of the name of Mutsumi and her mother, Natsumi. Also, Mutsumi and Natsumi had nearly completely identical personalities in the manga so I thought it would the same like that as well.

Same applies to the new daughter, Yunalla (name I just thought of at random). I imagine the armor to be a bit like one of those from the Megaman X series, but that's just me. The three armored guys from the Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer work too.

So... How's the story so far? All opinions welcome (except flames). There might be some magic and whatnot present in the story in future chapters but, who knows?

Lastly, out of the idea expressed in the Love Hina fanfic "Family Affairs" by lighthawkdemon1 (great author, great story if your not bothered by incest), I was wondering if I should include Haruka in this as well.

Now I know what your thinking: _O.o;; DUDE!!1! INCEST OMFGWTFBBQ!!!11!!!12_

Yeah. "Family Affairs" main pairing was Keitaro/Haruka. Weird yes, but oddly enough the fic was enjoyable... Alright the fic rocked in my opinion. It was one of the pairings I could least expect and it was pulled off really expertly. -envies lighthawkdemon1's writing skills- Best Keitaro/Haruka fic _**ever**_ hands down!!

I'm thinking of applying it here as well, but I'm a little conflicted. (The idea is still lighthawkdemon1's. I will not take credit for it)

But it really is up to you guys, cuz I think I can pull it off. But if not well... There's always Nyamo... _-mischievous grin-_

Review are my equivalent of aphrodisiac. Just less messy. O.o;;


	6. Chapter 6: Silent Luminosity

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 6 - Silent Luminosity**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

Quite the bind Keitaro and Co. have found themselves in. Recap: Yunalla Su, Urashima Keitaro and Kaolla Su's alleged daughter-to-be, was holding the tenants hostage at gunpoint, or more accurately, rocket-launcherpoint. The few able people to diffuse the situation have scampered off in their attempt to 'escape from the vile shelled monstrosity of the seventh layer of hell!'. It would seem the swordswomen share their extreme aversion to the carapaced reptile. The auburn-haired practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, on the other hand, was currently inebriated and was having trouble distinguishing the number of fingers she had on each hand.

Yeah. There was not much hope in this situation.

"So then! I ask that you all surrender my mother and father to me so that they may be wed as soon as possible!" Yunalla directed a finger at the bespectacled male and tanned foreigner.

"W-wait! You can't do that! She's only 13!" Narusegawa chose this time to speak her mind while grounding Keitaro's head with her foot, silently muttering words that sounded like 'child molester'.

The tanned girl grinned arrogantly and crossed her arms. "Au contraire! As the princess of the kingdom of Molmol, she is entitled to marry any male she deems worthy at any given time assuming that said male agrees and that there is a minister or a member of the Molmol royalty present! And I, being her future daughter, am a part of that royalty and may wed them at any given time so long as they agree to take the throne!"

"What!? Su, you're a princess!?" While most were surprised with this revelation, Kitsune had a different idea in mind. Mostly involving the acquisition of valuables pertaining to royal treasuries.

"Yup!" Su beamed innocently, looking completely oblivious to the situation.

The landlord did his typical Keitaro thing: flail his arms and babble incoherently in his defense. "Eh!? Wait, marriage!? I'm too young for that! _She's_ too young for that!! I don't think she even wants to get married to me!!"

"Yes I do!" Su piped in, causing everyone to face fault.

"_Otou-sama_." Yunalla addressed her father and knelt on one leg, surprising the residents. "I humbly ask that you agree to this arrangement. There will be a bountiful dowry bestowed upon you and your family. You may do with the money as you wish. Also, you will be next in line for the Molmolian throne, and will have power over the country. All you must do is marry and have children with _Okaa-sama_." She spoke in a regal and respectful tone, like that of a servant.

"Ch-children!!?" At this point, the kanrinrin just wanted to tear his hair off and scream bloody murder at the gods.

"Okie-doke!" The hyperactive foreigner replied with a grin. Jaws hit the floor.

"Su!"

It was then that Kanako decided that she had enough of this nonsense and stepped forward. "That's enough! I don't know what kind of sick joke you're trying to pull but I will not give _Onii-san_ up to _anyone_!!!" With that said, she took up a stance.

"Are you sure about that? You, along with the other residents, are sure to be given a sizable endowment since you are close friends with the groom and bride." Yunalla wore an air of arrogance again as she attempted to dissuade the girl.

This opened a certain fox girl's eyes. "Really!? I vote marriage then!" She jibed jokingly.

"Kitsune!" Naru berated her best friend who only shrugged.

"I'm afraid I can't accept those terms!" Kanako barked back.

"It's not for you to decide!" Yunalla turned to her father and switched back to her tone of reverence. "_Otou-sama._ Please accept your love for _Okaa-sama_ and wed her. Do not fear, for I will supervise the marriage myself and you are free to consummate it whenever you please."

"C-c-c-con-consummate!?" The landlord stuttered incredulously for the nth time that day. "N-no! I'm not ready to be married! I haven't even thought of getting married, much less to Su!"

The tanned newcomer drew back in shock. Thoughts ran into her head of the implications of what her father had said. _Is it possible that he doesn't... That must be it!_

Her bangs then hid her eyes and she took on a sulking look, making Keitaro feel a bit of guilty. "Wait! Err... It's not that I don't like Su! Not at all! It's just that-"

"You _monsters_!!" The girl emerged from her stupor with a fire in her eyes and pointed an accusing finger at the crowd. "You horrible witches! I know what's going on! _Otou-sama_ is obviously being influenced by your evil magic! That is why he is having difficulty in admitting his eternal love for _Okaa-sama_! Such horrible witchcraft!"

There was silence...

They cocked their heads. "Ah?"

"Don't play innocent with me!" She flicked the switch on her collar, having her armor emerge from its bag form. As the helmet closed in on her face, she spoke again. "I will save _Otou-sama_ and _Okaa-sama_ from your she-devil clutches and they can be together as they should be!"

_This girl's a little delusional..._ Was the thought of all present.

"Prepare yourself foul enchantress!" She flicked her wrist and launched a missile aimed at Kanako. The girl shifted to the side, letting the projectile pass her by.

"You'll have to do better than that!" The pale girl smirked, agitating the future princess. The armored girl reached into the bulky bag and retrieved a... photograph?

"What are you-?"

"Catch!" She threw the square sheet at Kanako's direction. The girl caught a glimpse of it, and her face flushed considerably. The photo showed a shot of a tanned and topless Keitaro who looked to be a bit different without his glasses and developed chest as he soaked in the rays of the sun, clad in only swimming trunks. Needless to say, the pale girl went giddy suddenly and changed her priorities to obtaining said photo.

The residents sweated, unaware of the photograph's contents. _What's she doing!?_

The tanned girl grinned in her helmet as her opponent caught the paper and rubbed her cheek against it affectionately, unknowingly triggering the small explosive device attached to it.

_**Beep. BOOM!**_

Kanako staggered, covered in ashes and dust, her hair slightly singed, and her eyes swirling. What remained of the picture was turned to ash and crumbled into the wind "_Oniii-saann..._" Came a barely audible whimper before she fell unconcsious.

"Ohohoho! How weak! Such is the fate of someone unworthy of _Otou-sama_!" Yunalla put the back of her hand against her mouth as she laughed in that creepy bloated fashion of hers. Sweat drops adorned the heads of those unfortunate enough to have heard her.

"Now release him, and I will let the rest of you live! If not, then I'll just pick you all off starting with _her_!" Her finger pointed at Naru's slightly shaking form.

"Me!? Wait! Can't we talk about this!?" Naru waved her arms out in front of her.

"_Hold it!_" Came a slurred cry. The girls and Keitaro turned their attention to the source of the voice. Megumi was slowly heaving herself up from the floor with some tribulation. Her face was red and her eyes were drooping, a sign that she was still drunk. She managed to stumble her way forwards, dragging the upper half of her body with her legs. It was quite humurous.

"Now _list_en 'ere, _-hic- _sir! I du_nno_ who ya _-hic- thin_k ya are, but w_he_n ya _-hic- _thr_eate_n my _mot_her, there's h_e_ll ta pay!" Megumi's words slurred while she lazily poked a finger at the armored girl's direction.

Yunalla scoffed, not really paying any mind to the other auburn-haired girl's rant. "Hmph. As if you could take me on in that state!" She flicked her wrist again, sending another missile her way.

"Megumi-chan! Watch out!" Cried Naru.

"_Oto!_" Megumi bent backwards almost all the way until her hair made contact with the ground, the rocket passing over her. With a great feat of strength, she pulled herself upright again with only her legs, wearing a scowl. "_Oi_! Be ca_reful_ with that _-hic- thi_ng!"

"Tch." Yunalla outstretched her hand again and unleashed a continuous volley of missiles aimed at the brunette. The girl tumbled around clumsily in a drunken dance, barely dodging the missiles as she advanced at the armored Yunalla.

_Damn. She's better than I thought. But she's still drunk, so taking her down hand-to-hand won't be a problem._ With that resolve, the tanned princess waited for the girl to fumble closer, but only saw a blur come forward and sent her flying upwards with a staggering blow to the chin, enough to create a crack in the armor plating. Yunalla landed on her feet expertly but sensed another attack coming her way. Having little time to react, she blocked with her arms and took the brunt of the fist as it shredded the reinforced plating on her arms. She was sent reeling backwards, in shock of the sheer power the girl had in her punch.

"What is-!?" Then she saw it. Her stance. "_Zui Quan_!? Drunken Fist!" She barely had a chance to have those words leave her mouth as her opponent twisted herself at her, poised to strike again. Yunalla took to the defensive as the drunk Megumi charged at her, her moves unpredictable even through her visor readings. One could see that the armored girl was wearing down trying to avoid Megumi's fast but sloppy attacks.

_I can't keep this up forever! I need an opening! _She kept up the defense, waiting for the right opportunity. It was then that Megumi swung a long left punch at her, grazing the side of her helmet. _There!_

Yunalla aimed her arm at Megumi's side and, with a flick, shot a dart at her hip.

"Ow! That hu_uurrrrt..._" The inebriated beauty slumped to her side, before falling unceremoniously on the floor and into deep slumber.

The state of her daughter-to-be worried Naru. "Megumi-chan! Su, do something!"

"_Suge_! That visor must be run by a Kinetic-Discharge-Conversion-Reactor! The design's a little flawed but made up for with the Flux-Capacitors lined on the hem with-" At that point, Naru decided to stop listening to Su's random spouting on Yunalla's armor, hoping to be spared of a head-ache. Su only continued her tirade while ogling said armor.

"Heh. That last one caught me off guard. But I still win and you will have to hand _Otou-sama _to me!" She extended the arm with the slightly damaged rocket-launcher, confident that they would finally relinquish their hold on her father.

Instead she was met with a glass container colliding and shattering with her arm, its contents spilling into the circuitry of her armor.

"That is enough." A creepy monotone voice called out to her.

From the shadows emerged a short petit girl looking to be around 12-14 years of age with long violet bangs reaching all the way to the back of her hip. Her eyes were a deep black that had a blank but penetrating gaze. Her pale face, though adorable enough for older women to admire, drew no trace of emotion. Garbed in a simple girl's school uniform and a brown satchel, this gave her a creepy air, like that of a ghost.

"It ends here." She spoke in an almost hushed tone, though loud enough for anyone to hear. Her voice had an eerie feel that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Why you-!" The armored girl raised her other arm to strike but was buffeted with another potion, causing the rest of the armor to rust and crumble away.

The girl dug into her satchel once more and retrieved another flask filled to the brim with a green liquid. "If this liquid is met with oxygen, it will release a gas strong enough to put a herd of elephants to sleep. Surrender, Yunalla-san."

The defeated girl grit her teeth and reached into her bag, retrieving a large missile launcher. "It's not over!" Her words were cut short as another potion collided with the launcher, its liquid contents turning to ice and freezing the weapon into sub-zero temperatures, rendering it useless.

"Damn!" Yunalla cursed unabashedly despite herself and was given no chance to counter-attack as her lavender-haired foe flung the green vial at her feet and let loose its strange smelling contents. True to the girl's word, as soon as the gas had wafted into her nose, the time-traveling princess dropped to the ground in a haze and fell asleep, thus ending her tirade.

* * *

The bespectacled kanrinrin laid the slumbering Yunalla on the couch, as done with the still unconscious Megumi and Kanako. The two Shinmeiryuu swordswomen sat across them on another couch, still a bit shaken from their encounter with the 'beady-eyed reptile of terror', as they would put it.

Accompanying the tenants was the form of the petit plum-haired teen who they were a bit uneasy with seeing as her gaze was a little unnerving and her intentions were unknown. It didn't help that her hands were still pocketed in her satchel which, from what they've seen, contained a few of the girl's home-made concoctions that they'd rather not delve into. The newcomer sat herself on one of the chairs with a stolid expression that only served to give her a creepier air.

Kitsune decided to step up to the task. "Er... Hi there."

No response.

"Uh... Thanks for helping us out?"

No response.

"Erm... May I ask for your name?"

No response.

The fox girl scratched her head. The girls petrifying eyes were getting to her. "Um... Would you like anything to eat?"

No response.

"Hey I think she's dead." Su chimed in as she poked the irresponsive girl's face.

"Su! Don't do that, it's rude!" Naru withdrew the tanned girl's hand.

Silence...

"I apologize."

The girl spoke suddenly, surprising everyone. "I was briefly analyzing the situation on different angles as to weigh my options as to how I would take action. A brief lapse of reality, nothing more. By my observations, you have already been acquainted with four of my 'half-sisters', so to speak, and you know of their missions already. It shall make my explanation shorter then, as you've probably already deciphered my reasons for being here. But then I suppose you would like to know of my name first, yes?"

At a loss for words, Keitaro and Co. merely nodded dumbly, though already not liking where this was going.

"Urashima Mika." The girl announced, still keeping a stoic expression.

"A-and may I ask, who your mother is, because we're pretty sure we already know your father."

Maybe it was a trick of the lighting. But one could have sworn that in a split-second, there was a glint of amusement in the girl's eyes.

"Maehara Shinobu."

The sound of a body hitting the floor was heard. Make more room on the couch.

* * *

Gah... So late... So tired... Sleeeeeeep...

Chapter a little sloppy... Meh...

I have just realized that this story will require a lot of attention if I intend to go along with my plans. I predict many chapters to be written. Joy.

Reviews give me wonderful dreams at night...


	7. Chapter 7: Thorough Breakdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 7 - Thorough Breakdown**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

"Shinobu-chan, hang in there!" He took hold of her hand and gripped it assuredly, sweat coming from his brow out of worry. 

Shinobu convulsed and shook in pain. It was unbearable, but she knew that it would be worth it in the end. She looked to her side, finding peace in the bespectacled eyes of her husband. With Herculean effort, she managed a small smile and gave one final push, effectively ending the her labor as the cries of a newborn were heard.

"It's a girl." The nurse wrapped the baby in cloth and presented the little bundle to the proud parents.

Not a man ashamed to show emotion, Keitaro was in tears as held the baby close to himself and cooed it cutely, taking in every little detail of his beloved daughter. "Hey there little one. I'm your daddy." The man playfully tickled the infant's lips with the compassion of a

The bluenette gave a deep sigh and smiled, tears brimming from her face out of relief and happiness. This had to be one of the best moments of her life. "Mika..." She worded softly, the name of the girl she would cherish and love for life.

Keitaro brought the baby close to her mother. "Say hello to your mom, Mika-chan."

"_Hello, Okaa-san._" A cold voice permeated through the air, the temperature of the room dropping considerably.

The voice had an eerie feel that could make even the calm Haruka shiver. Shinobu looked around the room for assurance but saw only smiling faces on each person as if it were normal. It was scaring the hell out of her.

She hesitantly turned her gaze to the little bundle of joy and gasped in fright. The fragile infant had long lavender hair that wasn't supposed to have grown yet and hid her eyes in ghostly darkness. All the horror movies the girl ever watched paled in comparison to this very image before her.

The newly named Mika spoke with the same ominous tone, nearly having her mother wet herself. "_Give me..._"

_**"Give me your soul..."**_

* * *

"Shinobu!" 

"**IYAAAAAAA!!!!**" Shinbou let out a blood-curdling scream, awakening from her comatose dream-turned-nightmare. She sat up abruptly and swung her arms around in a mad frenzy trying to bat away invisible horrors.

"Shinobu, calm down!" A soothing voice spoke to her and held her by her shoulders, thus stopping her from her hysterical episode.

"M-Motoko-senpai!?" True enough, the girl opened her eyes to find the raven-haired swordswoman staring back at her with a worried expression. She felt herself tear up and hugged the older woman, unaware of how she had accidentally socked the kanrinrin right in the nose during her sudden outburst.

"There, there." Motoko gave the smaller girl an alleviating pat on her back as she clung to her. _Poor girl. Probably had a nightmare of what it would be like to be that pervert's wife._ The swordswoman seethed inwardly.

Mika had offered to thoroughly explain the situation of the time-traveling children. All were present and accounted for in the living room. Well, as 'present' as they could get.

The auburn-haired Megumi buried her head in a pillow in an attempt to soothe the dreaded hangover that constantly plagued her. Her mother, Naru was there to care for her.

Bound with ropes was Yunalla, guarded closely by Chiyoko and Kanako. Though, it was more like Chiyoko fending Kanako from trying to wring the tanned girl's neck while Yunalla spouted off insults at the adopted Urashima's expense.

The hyperactive Su busied herself with poking the stoic Mika's cheek, trying to garner a reaction. No success so far. Continuing with experiment until visible results are found.

Mutsumi sat rather peacefully and waited patiently for Shinobu's daughter-to-be's explanation. Katsumi imitated her mother's posture though with a large traces of ash and dust in her hair and face due to a stray missile having hit her during Yunalla's little bout with Megumi. Actually, it was more like five stray missiles.

The two eldest women, Kitsune and Haruka, were ensconced amongst them all, both interested at what the eerie Mika had to say. More so with the former than the latter.

Keitaro sat up from the floor, rubbing his reddened nose. He made a note to avoid being in close proximity of anyone having a nightmare lest he suffer injury from their sudden waking.

"_Ahem._" The plum-haired newcomer known as Urashima Mika cleared her throat to get their attention.

"As you all have already surmised, I and these other four are the direct future descendants of Urashima Keitaro. From what I've gathered, they are as follows:

Urashima Megumi. Future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Narusegawa Naru. Proficient in the arts of Jeet Kune Do and Zui Quan or Drunken Fist. Immense strength. Short temper. (Megumi: "What was that!?" Naru: "Megumi calm down...")

Urashima Chiyoko. Future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Aoyama Motoko. Future heiress of the God's Cry School and practitioner of its arts. Ki wielder, as with all Shinmeiryuu students. Tomboyish in nature. Poor taste in clothing. (Chiyoko: "Oi...")

Urashima Katsumi. Future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Otohime Mutsumi. Near perfect replica of her mother and father, behavior traits included. Blessed and cursed in terms of luck. Exorcist recommended. Obsession with watermelons. C-cup bust size and still growing. Airhead. (Katsumi: "_Ara_? Are you talking about me?")

Yunalla Urashima. Future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Kaolla Su. Future princess of the Kingdom of Molmol. Accomplished inventor in the field of technological science and weaponry. Arrogant and spoiled. Slightly delusional. (Yunalla: Ingrate! Don't speak of me like that!")

Finally, I am Urashima Mika. Future daughter of Urashima Keitaro and Maehara Shinobu. Chemist, alchemist, and promoter of the paranormal. Competent data-gatherer. IQ of over 200. (Chiyoko: "And creepier than Ai Enma." Keitaro: "Chiyoko-chan...")"

All were impressed with Mika's observations as she recited precisely and briefly, not even pausing to take a breath. She turned to her mother, Shinobu, who paled considerably as she recalled her nightmare. Ignoring Su's continued prodding, she continued with her speech.

"If I'm correct in saying, Megumi, Chiyoko, Katsumi, Yunalla, and I were given prior warning during their own times of an unknown entity interfering with the timeline in the past. It was pinpointed to this very time and spot which exhibited an anomaly within time-space. Further investigation proved it to threaten the relationship of out parents and our very birth. Assuming that someone intended to have _Otou-san _married to someone else, we figured it was one of his other children in divergent timelines. With that in mind, we were forced to take action and used a method of time-travel to reach this time-space. Mostly with Aunt Su's devices. (Yunalla smirked at that. Su grinned proudly.)

Our arrival couldn't have been very precise as time-travel can be unstable and the consequences of tampering with something so delicate are unknown to us. In actuality, I myself have approximately 6 days prior in Tokyo of all places, and have arrived here 3 days ago. I took my time to observe the goings-on of the Inn in secrecy, monitoring each new arrival until now. With Yunalla's previous outburst, I was given the imperative to act and reveal myself as to prevent any harm to befall my mother and father. All others are tertiary in priority. (Many a facefault was heard.)

And so, like the other time-traveling individuals present, I have come here with the objective of bringing my mother and father to marriage in order to secure my eventual birth. I hope you will understand." Thus, she ended her long-winded speech and paused to gauge the reactions of her audience.

The following are the thoughts of some of the tenants. Feel free to guess which one belongs to which resident.

_She's... dead on!_

_Damnable girl knows more of this than I do... And it's my mother's machine that sent us here..._

_This is quite a lot to take in. I need a drink._

_Urgh. Head still spinning... Need aspirin..._

_M-me!? A-a-and Senpai!? Ch-children!? Th-that means that... we will... Senpai..._

_All this poking is making me hungry... Need bananas..._

_Hard to imagine this one being Shinobu's daughter..._

_By Kami what the hell did I do in a past life to deserve this!?_

_Ara?_

_Ane-ue will need to hear of this._

As they all mulled in their own silent musings, Mika surveyed their subtlest expressions with calculating eyes. She could clearly make out the incredulous faces of nearly every individual within her visage. In a near split-second of advanced observation, the girl could easily read most of their opinions on these recent circumstances. It was clear that not all took this into positive consideration. Except maybe her mother, though it was uncertain for she had only fainted again.

* * *

Growing stress and frustration was evident in the face of one Urashima Keitaro. Peaceful gatherings at the table were lessening considerably with each child that presented themselves. Lunch was no exception. 

Despite her refined mannerisms, Yunalla had adopted her mother's insatiable appetite and ate with the speed on par with Su's but with the grace of a respected lady. It was interesting to note that when eating, she foregoes her usual arrogance and abrasiveness to concentrate on the food before her, only politely asking for another serving after finishing every bit on her plate. It was for this reason that she, her mother included, was oblivious to the thick tension in the air.

Somehow, by some twisted and hidden manipulation, the poor ronin had been seated between both Shinobu and her stoic daughter, Mika. In the back of his mind, something told him it was through the plum-haired girl to his left that this seating arrangement had been made possible. How she pulled it off was left to skeptical contemplation.

Megumi and Chiyoko glared at the girl, quite displeased with how they were seated with both their mother placed furthest from their father, themselves included. They knew that she, by some means, was the cause of this and it grated on their nerves. Mika looked to be oblivious to the scowls sent her way.

Chiyoko bore into the girl warily, waiting for her next move. In her absence of mind, she carelessly knocked over some of the sauce on the table. When the black liquid seeped into the wood, a soft acidic hiss was heard. Upon closer inspection, the sauce was melting through the wooden furniture.

_Holy shit! Acid!?_

She snapped her head at Mika's direction who merely retained her passive air. Chiyoko didn't notice Mika pocketing what looked to be a vial of black liquid . The swordwoman narrowed her eyes at the chemist nonetheless.

* * *

"Mika-chan." Shinobu addressed her daughter as she put another article of clothing on the hamper. The mother and daughter found themselves on the roof, sorting out the laundry. 

"Yes, _Okaa-san_?" Mika queried with the emotionless baritone still evident in her voice.

Mika's mother whimpered slightly, still not used to the idea of being a future mother, with Keitaro no less. Gathering her composure, she spoke again. "Um... Why did you try to kill Chiyoko-san?" She actually bore witness to the incident that lunch and had already assumed the perpetrator. It shook her to think that her daughter could be so deceptive.

"You saw? Do not be too concerned, _Okaa-san._ It was not a lethal mixture. It only contained an extremely potent laxative that reacts unnaturally to wood. An unforeseen side-effect, but it still retains its general purpose."

"Ah... That would explain why many of the others had the sudden urge to use the washroom." It was true that after a few minutes after consuming the sauce, the unfortunate few excused themselves suddenly and vacated the premises within the blink of an eye. It also explained why their arms folded painfully over their stomach. Shinobu was sweating a bit from the thought.

"I do not enjoy having people impede my objective. Because my rationality and human conscience implore me not to eliminate them permanently, I must devise other measures to take that hinder their own progress. Thus was an example of the events of that afternoon."

"I... see." They remained silent for a while, helping each other hang the last of the apparel onto the roof.

"Do you love, _Otou-san_?" Shinobu slips and falls over.

"Wh-w-what!?"

"Do you love, _Otou-san_?" Mika repeated like a recorder.

"Ah!? Er... That is-! I mean-! Auuuu!" The poor bluenette held her palms to her flushed cheeks and swayed hysterically.

"Judging by your reaction and facial expressions, I will take that as a 'yes'.." Mika deducted expertly.

At a loss for words, she nodded hesitantly, her face turning blood red.

"Does _Otou-san_ love you back?"

At this, Shinobu marginally frowned. "I... I don't think so..."

"Then I can assist with that." From seemingly nowhere, the plum-haired chemist retrieved her satchel and, from it, pulled out a vial of bright pink liquid.

_Is that... a love potion?_

"This vial contains a mixture made from many assorted and rare herbs I had acquired in my own time. Have _Otou-san_ consume the desired amount and wait for the duration of half a minute by his side. By then the effects of the potion will arise and you will have what you and I desire. And thus my mission will be complete." Mika handed her mother the vial and spoke further. "I would suggest placing it into his tea as not to arouse any suspicion. A few drops are recommended but the effect is much more powerful if consumed at a greater amount. Do so as you will."

Shinobu stared incredulously at the glass container in her hand. "Will this really work out?"

"Do not doubt me, _Okaa-san_. Of course it will be effective. It is the most cogent aphrodisiac ever created. It is sure to arouse _Otou-san_ near instantly. Take some for yourself if you wish. Though I have not properly tested it, the estimated effects would be a substantial increase in endurance and stamina and loss of upper-brain functions. The lasting duration should be around 6-9 hours. Afterwards, my birth is assured and my mission is... _Okaa-san_?"

Mika looked down at the unconscious form of her mother. The resident chef's face was a full-blooded crimson with her body twitching at random intervals, her eyes were swirling, and a trickle of saliva fell traced her cheek. The vial rolled unsupervised on the floor.

"It would seem I will have to rethink my strategies. Maybe I can have her read explicit magazine articles for a semblance of the experience."

* * *

I think I was a bit mean to Shinobu back there. 

In response to the review:  
"Actually, there's one big hole in the plot that bothers me. These girls all come from different timelines, yes? Different timelines where there is technically no reason to go back and meddle! In each daughter's timeline, it's their mother who ends up with Keitaro, and the others don't exist. So why would they go back to insure their mother ends up with Keitaro, when that's already what happened in their timeline? Even if they are aware of the existence of the other timelines, why would they care? Clearly it's possible for all of them to exist, just in different realities. You may want to have someone bring this up in a conversation and explain it, even if you have to pull out a Star Trek answer for it."

Don't worry. I already had that in mind. It'll be explained some time later in the story.

Thank you to all reviewers for their opinions, and corrections. I appreciate them all. And 'Sweet Heavens' for sending me a PM. I'm glad you like the story and I hope that this chapter made you and everyone else laugh as well.

Reviews, people, or I will have Mika here use her 'special sauce' on your food! (Ehehe...)


	8. Chapter 8: Warped Mischief

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 8 - Warped Mischief**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

_Where... the hell am I?_

The sight that greeted the bespectacled eyes of the young Toudai aspirant was a lush vast horizon of grass and trees that seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. Keitaro currently laid on top of a small hill that overlooked the landscape with a breath-taking perspective, an enormous tree being his only visible companion on the small mount. On the base of the hill was a stream that extended endlessly in a straight line. What caught Keitaro's eye about the stream was the deep violet liquid flowing within it.

_This is a weird dream..._

The kanrinrin sat up and propped himself on the towering maple behind him to have a better look at his surroundings. No signs of civilization was visible from his viewpoint. The landscape looked to expand eternally so attempting to trek though it would take too many wasted hours of labor. He didn't even know which direction to go. Besides the various shrubs and trees, no living creature could be found amongst the landscape. Not a bird in the sky, not a deer on the ground, not a person to see.

Instead of feeling forlorn at being the only person in sight, the view was stunning to behold, and the gentle breeze accompanied with the cloudy sky only heightened the feeling of tranquility that wormed its way into his soul. His breathe was even as he sighed contentedly, all his worries and problems seemingly lifted away with that exhale.

_I don't want to wake up... at least not now..._

"Keitaro?" a familiar voice called to him.

"Kitsune? Is that you?" He looked to his left to find the fox girl sauntering from the other side of the tree. Her choice of clothing caught his eye, a silky white robe that hung loosely on her body, covering her sufficiently. The cloth was held together by gold buckles on her shoulders and a simple leather strap that acted like a belt on her slender waist. It looked reminiscent of what angels and maidens wore in days and stories old.

"What are you wearing?" It was certainly different from her usual attire which consisted mostly of eye-catching shorts and revealing tops whenever she was around him.

She gave a light pout. "No idea. I can ask you the same question though." Looking down, Keitaro saw that he himself was wearing something near identical to the girl's apparel though more suited for males since the collar hung lower than hers.

"Where are we?" Keitaro asked slightly accusingly.

"No idea. I had nothing to do with it. Tried pinching myself to see if this was a dream. Nothin'."

Keitaro tried doing so himself, wincing a bit at the sting he felt on his cheek. _Wait... This __**isn't**__ a dream!?_

A feral smirk appeared on Kitsune's face. "Here let me try." She leaned down and clamped her fingers hard on Keitaro's butt-cheek, eliciting a yelp of pain from the man.

"Ow! Kitsune!" He rubbed his prickling bottom with care.

"Ehehe. Sorry, couldn't help myself." She grinned teasingly.

After a while, it dawned on him that since this wasn't a dream, a fact that his aching rear could testify with. He and the resident fox was currently in the middle of nowhere, with no means of communication and, considering that there looked to be no food in sight and the lavender 'water' in the nearby river was yet to be determined safe for human consumption, the situation was dire.

He turned to his mischievous female companion who wore a pensive look, not the kind she used when concocting a scheme from the more playful recesses of her mind, but one that Keitaro had yet to see in the girl. It was... alluring.

He turned his thoughts back to the matter at hand. If he recalled correctly, just before this all happened, he was in his own room, balancing the inn's finances when Kitsune entered, donning the telltale 'free-rent-for-a-month' smile. Just as she was about to approach her prey with her predatory advance, everything went blank for a second, and here he was. He could deduce that wherever 'here' was, Kitsune was sent there with him, and she was as confused at this as he was.

He let his mind drift away briefly to glance at the voluptuous woman again, noticing how serene she looked with that thoughtful expression, the wind blowing her short sandy blond strands of hair from her face with the cloudy horizon in the background. He was brought out of his thoughts by Kitsune's question.

"Hey, what's that?" She pointed at the violet stream on the side of the hill.

Keitaro shrugged. "Don't know." He got closer to the stream and looked closely. He caught a whiff of the odd-colored liquid. "It smells weird though."

Kitsune went over to smell herself, feeling a strong familiarity with it. Deciding to confirm her suspicions, she dipped her finger in it and sucked the digit.

"What are you-?"

"It's wine! Good wine!" She grinned excitedly as she recognized the fine warming taste of the liquid. She cupped one hand into the stream and drank blissfully, letting out a flushed sigh.

_I think my head's playing weird games with me..._

A wine-filled stream was the last thing Keitaro had in mind. Though with the relative ridiculousness that is his life, he wasn't all that surprised. Of course it didn't help that he found a small stack of empty cups on the side which he assumed were for drinking from the stream.

_Is this heaven? Is Kami finally cutting me a break? Arigato Kami-sama!_

Tears streamed from the kanrinrin's eyes as he looked to the sky, shaking his fist in gratefulness to whatever higher being granted him this reprieve. Sure he would have to share it with Kitsune, but it couldn't be all that bad.

With a nod, he resigned himself to fate and picked up a cup. Seeing him at the corner of her eye, Kitsune mimicked his action and scooped half a glass full of the red wine.

"I dunno what's goin' on or why we're here, but I gotta say, this is quite nice." She gestured her cup at him, proposing a toast.

He hesitated a moment then smiled. "Cheers." And clinked her cup with his.

* * *

"You're getting too tired. Are you sure you wanna keep going?" The figure asked worriedly to its partner. 

"They're almost there. Just a little more..." Came a strained reply.

"You can't keep this up forever! You'll hurt yourself!"

"Quiet, nitwit. They'll hear us. Give me some more time."

"...Fine. 10 minutes, but that's it. I don't care if it works out or not, I will not have you fainting on me." The figure said in an authoritative tone.

The other figure rolled its eyes. "You worry too much."

* * *

The two robed figures laughed heartedly in a drunken stupor as the sun set in the horizon of their grassland prison. They drank to their heart's content, filling themselves with their godsent alcohol. The fox-eyed girl would send some occasional teasing at her companion's way, while the bespectacled kanrinrin took it all in playful stride, even sending a few back at her. 

"He_eyy_y... I di_dn_' _kno_w it wuz a_lrea_dy ni_gh_t." Keitaro had a flushed grin as he surveyed the darkening skies.

"M_e_e_h_. Ya _lo_se t_rac_k _o_f ti_m_e _wh_en y_a_ dr_in_k. _-hic-_" She'd usually have passed out half an hour ago, with all the alcohol in her system. Hell, she was actually impressed at being able to form one semi-coherent sentence at the time. She didn't think Keitaro could last as long as she could so she guessed it was in the alcohol.

"Sa_ay_y, _Kei_taro_oo_..." She shifted herself closer to him and removed his glasses.

"Huh?" He was surprised by the gesture.

Kitsune studied him closely for a moment and wore a sultry smile. "Y_ou'_re ki_nd_a c_u_te witho_u_t _y_our glass_es_." She spoke with less slur in her voice.

Keitaro went red at the statement, redder since his face was already flushed from the copious amounts of alcohol. He looked away and scratched his cheek embarrassedly. "Y-you really think so?" Somehow, the wine stopped impending his speech as it came out smoothly.

"I'm serious." The fox girl opened her eyes a little more and smiled in a much more genuine way to prove her point.

"Err... Thanks... You look nice yourself..." Maybe it was still the alcohol but he could swear that she glowed in a more mature and beautiful way when she showed her eyes. The orange tinted light of the sunset glowed from behind her, accentuating the lovely features in her face. This also helped hide the blush that creeped its way into the sides of her face.

Many guys have complimented her before on her looks. Some were only playful appraises while others were looking for a chance with her. This was... different. In a nice way.

Before she could even comprehend what was already happening, she had found her face leaning dangerously close to his. Keitaro's eyes were glazed over, also a little out of it from the wine. Kitsune's thoughts and rationality were lagging behind her as she closed the distance, not knowing what exactly was occurring nor actually caring. She didn't even notice that their robes were replaced with their original clothes from that afternoon or that the stream and trees were fading away.

* * *

Chiyoko had intended to locate her father and lure him into a scheme of getting him alone with her mother. He went into the manager's room to initiate her plan when she found something unexpected. 

There, sitting in an ominous dome-like ball of energy, was a vision of Kitsune and Keitaro wearing unusual garments and sitting by a stream of deep lavender. Their faces nearly a ruler apart. To her right, she spotted near-identical figures, one crouched down with a face contorted in concentration, beads of sweat coming forth from her brow. The other stood over the former with a supporting hand on her shoulder, surveying the events unfolding inside of the distorted dome.

"What the hell is going on!?" Chiyoko cried with her sword drawn, catching the attention of both strangers.

"Crap!" The crouched one cried as her focus was broken and the dome slowly dissipated into nothingness, leaving an unconscious Keitaro and Kitsune lying on the floor. "Damnit! So close!"

"Leave it. We have other things to worry about." The other stood at the ready, eyeing the katana the raven-haired time-traveler was wielding.

Chiyoko eyed them both warily. The woman that looked to have been maintaining the energy dome was around her age and only a little shorter than she was. Her hair was beige in color with black highlights and styled in a slightly spiky mess behind her head. Her narrow cocoa-brown eyes shot a warning look at her, silently berating Chiyoko for impeding on whatever they were doing. The girl donned folded loose-fitting black jeans and long-sleeved polo shirt that was inadequately buttoned up on both ends over a black top. She hefted a large bag over her curvy figure which looked to be holding many unorganized trinkets considering the random protrusions that could be seen around its exterior and poking out of the lid.

The other was much taller than the former, with a face quite similar to hers only with a more sophisticated air and was undoubtedly more attractive with straighter sky-blue bangs and composed front. She wore a bulky red vest over a grey shirt that featured her slender but slightly toned torso and arms, with shorts that clung to her shapely legs. Her darker amber eyes through caution to the wind as they darted back and forth from the unsheathed katana pointed their way to her partner, acting like a bodyguard over a shorter ward. If one were to look past the few differences in their apparel and hair-color, they could easily pass off as twins.

The shorter of the two grinned. "Looks like we've been found out."

Chiyoko fit the pieces together and came up with the most likely and expected explanation. "You! You're their daughters too, aren't you?"

"Well-"

"That's right!" The tan-haired girl briskly cut her taller partner off, earning her an annoyed glare which she promptly ignored. "Introduce us!" She commanded with strong elbow to her partner's side.

With a grunt and sigh, the blue-haired one complied. "Ugh... My name is Urashima Yuri and this is my older twin sister-"

"Urashima Yumi! Famed artifact collector!" The girl who introduced herself as Yumi grinned proudly and jabbed a finger at herself for emphasis. A tired sigh escaped from her younger, though taller twin, Yuri.

"We'd like to stay, but we have business elsewhere! Bye, bye, Swordie-chan!" In a blur the two jumped out the window, Kitsune and Keitaro in tow.

_Swordie-chan!? _"Oi! Get back here!" She peeked her head downwards from the floor the manager's room was located and saw four bodies sprawled on the floor, two with noticeable lumps on their heads. Among them was a ditsy looking brunette with a frying pan in hand putting a palm to her mouth.

"Katsumi!?"

"Ara? I may have hurt them accidentally with my pan. _Gomen_!" Mutsumi's daughter-to-be bowed apologetically at the comatose newcomers.

_Why was she outside with a pan to begin with?_ Was the swordswoman's confused thought.

* * *

I have weird sense in fashion in my opinion. Probably because I don't get out much, but no matter. 

Nothing much to say here except that I rushed the end a little bit. It maybe changed later on. What just happened will be explained in the next chapter. (I hope.)

In response to Sweet Dream's PM because I wasn't sure if he/she received my reply:  
Yes I know Negima!. Both the anime and manga but not the Negima!? series. Why?

Also, to those who think that Chiyoko and Motoko are alike in personality, I will prove that wrong in a few chapters. And Megumi has a secret she has yet to reveal. You'll find out soon enough.

_**IMPORTANT!!!:**_

Soon I will need to decide a route to take so I ask for some help in deciding.

In some future chapters, more magic/mysticism (as you may have seen in this one) and other things may make itself known. Also, characters from other anime/manga titles may appear as well. (Mostly due to laziness of making more OCs, but also to have some familiar characters for the readers) Tell me your opinion on this.

In the event that I may place too much focus on the OCs, tell me please. After all, it isn't all about them.

I will be taking one of the following paths in the story:

1) Light-hearted, humor-laced plot with a bit of the touchy-feely stuff, a few tears now and again, and as many laughs as I can supply.

2) A little more serious but still with some humor approach, and some sadness and angst.

3) More on the romantic stuff and introspection. (Lemons are optional though I will have to change the rating of this fic. Your choice.)

4) A lot of action/fighting.

5) A combination of all/some of the above. (With or without lemons.)

Help me out with these or suggest a new one I should go through with.

Reviews are my sufficient sustenance to being a healthy writer. So please feed me.


	9. Chapter 9: The Collector

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 9 - The Collector  
**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

Quite reminiscent of the 'Yunalla incident', the twins found themselves tied up securely in ropes, courtesy of Urashima Kanako. The shorter twin's knots were tied more tightly than her younger partner, mostly because of her angry protests. The taller twin only gave another sigh. 

The creepy plum-haired Urashima Mika stood before them with the other residents plus Haruka watching from the sidelines. They've all been expecting this sooner or later. Kitsune and Keitaro looked worse for wear, with their heads throbbing painfully and relentlessly. They didn't recall most of what happened before they passed out. All they could remember were two cups and copious amounts of alcohol.

She began with her signature expressionless tone. "From what I've gathered, you are the twin children of Urashima Keitaro and Konno Mitsune, correct?" They both nodded. "Urashima Yuri, and Urashima Yumi. I assume that you have come here for the same reason I and my 'colleagues' have. Would you like for me to introduce them to you?"

Yumi scoffed. "Don't bother, Loli-chan."

"... 'Loli-chan?'" Mika repeated questioningly. For a mere nanosecond, one could have sworn that her right eye twitched a little.

"Don't mind it. She calls everyone she doesn't like a nickname." Yuri quipped. "Actually, she pretty much calls everyone a nickname."

"Who asked you, 'Yuu-chan'?"

"_Nee-san_! Don't call me that! At least not in front of people!"

"_Ahem_." Mika brought their attention back to the subject at hand. Even so, she still found it hard to believe that the taller, much more mature twin was the younger of the pair. "Chiyoko-san had described to me what she had witnessed in the room with you and your parents. The description, though vague, is of significant similarity to a space manipulation ability I have read of in my time. The information states that through a catalyst and runic symbol, an 'area' is created that can be manipulated freely through a sheer force of will by the user, creating a virtual world. Nearly every aspect of it can be molded and formed. Gravity, elevation, or even the speed at which time passes. Despite not actually 'existing', for the lack of a better term, within this universe, all objects made in it become reality through an entity that can perceive it. Namely, human beings. Thus, within the 'area', people can interact with the world as they could in real-life and still feel its natural effects. Fatigue, sickness, or in this case, inebriation. The user cannot however, manipulate any human that goes into the world for they are foreign and perceptional living entities. It also takes a great deal of energy and some concentration to keep the world intact. The most one can do is have it last over half an hour. Am I right so far?"

Yuri gave a curt nod, seemingly unimpressed. Many others felt their minds going numb from exertion.

"Using said ability, you planned on pushing Mitsune-san to our father in order to spark a relationship or at least feelings for one another. Judging by my father's current state, you had used alcohol as well. If not for Chiyoko-san's timely intervention you might have succeeded."

"Hmph." The tan-haired girl turned her head slightly, taking her comment as an insult. When those present heard this they stared incredulously at the twins, surprised at the extreme method they had used.

After gauging her audience's reaction, Mika continued. "I did a search in the room and found the circular symbol etched on the floor with chalk and this." She presented a crimson red die that she had fished from her pocket. "This was your catalyst."

Motoko suddenly grew interested and studied the cube. "That die is resonating with energy. It is faint, but noticeable."

Mika nodded, and looked to the twins again. "I am curious as to how you may have procured the knowledge of using this technique and the nature of the symbol required. I have made a few extensive studies and found no specific details on the methods. In addition to that, it is a guarded secret of a hidden clan not from Japanese soil, and sealed in a scroll. Care to narrate?"

Yuri paled visibly. Yumi put on a mischievous grin. "We got the scroll."

Shinobu's daughter-to-be quirked an eyebrow. "How?"

"Won it off from its clan in poker."

"Absurd. I highly doubt that a clans member would actually risk the secrets of a powerful skill in a game of chance."

"Oh yeah?" Yumi gave a feral grin and began telling the tale.

* * *

The two partners trekked along the hillside, searching for a specific someone. It was a relatively nice day for a walk. The breeze felt cool, the sky was cloudy, and the forest greens were a sight to behold. Though all these things did no help in elevating the impatience of a certain beige-haired Urashima. 

"Are you **sure** he's here!? We've been walking for over an hour already!" Yumi whined as her body slumped tiredly.

Already used to her incessant grumbling, Yuri kept her face impassive and replied. "You know my sources are rarely ever wrong. Besides, **you're** the one who wants the scroll so badly."

The two have been traveling for quite a deal of time, missing out on nearly a week of school, which Yumi didn't mind in the slightest. The scroll had caught Yumi's interest when she had heard of it and had set forth almost immediately for it, of course, dragging her younger twin along for the ride. Being a self-respecting collector, she couldn't let an item of this value slip away, so she booked a flight for the country the clan was located, and forcefully hauled a groggy and not even decently packed Yuri 2am in the morning to the airport. She was sure her parents wouldn't mind.

_We are sooo grounded..._ Yuri thought mournfully.

Musings were interrupted by a nudge on the shoulder. "Oi. Is that him?" The older twin gestured at the traveler walking their way.

The younger sibling gave the man a once over. "Yup. That's him."

"I have a plan. Go along with it."

_I have a bad feeling..._ And truthfully, she had every right to. Every time the collector mentioned a plan she asked Yuri to 'go along with', it usually meant that Yuri was going to end up being the catalyst of said plan. She braced herself with whatever was to come.

Yumi advanced forward, a few inches away from her sibling, parallel to the unsuspecting man's side.

_CHANCE!_ Her eyes gleamed.

A 'stray' foot connected with the foreign traveler's shin, effectively knocking him off balance, causing him to fall forward.

Into an unaware Yuri.

"Ah!?"

"Gah!"

"Aha!"

_**Click!**_

_**Click!**_

_**Click!**_

"Caught in the act, pervert!" The girl smirked triumphantly with a camera in hand.

The traveler instantly got up from his awkward position with the startled twin and faced Yumi. "Hey wait! It was an accident!" The man defended himself in his native tongue.

Seemingly unconvinced, she retorted in the same language, waving the camera in his face. "I have proof! I'm calling the authorities!"

"It was not on purpose!"

"So you admit you did it?"

"I admit nothing!"

"So you're denying it?"

"You tripped me!"

"Not what these pictures say." She skimmed through the taken photos, all showing images of what appeared to be the man attempting to take advantage of an attractive youth with cerulean locks.

_I feel dirty and used... _Yuri shuddered, hugging herself lightly.

Yumi gave her a 'you'll-get-over-it' look. Yuri shot her back a 'you-owe-me-big-time' look.

"Listen. What will it take for you to let this slide?" The man pleaded.

Yumi put on a pensive look, and smiled. The clansman gulped audibly. "Well... I've been pretty bored lately and we're a bit low on cash (lie), so how about a round of poker?"

"I don't have any money with me right now."

"Oh? That's too bad. I hope you like jail!" She proceeded to dial numbers on her cellphone.

"Wait! Can't we work something out!?" He cried out desperately, kneeling at her feet. A hidden smirk graced Yumi's face.

"Maybe... Do you have anything of value with you right now?" Yumi asked in an _almost_ innocent manner, indirectly referring to the scroll securely sealed in his bag.

The clansman began to sweat and fidget. On the one hand, he was sworn to protect the secret scroll passed down by his nearly extinct clan. On the other hand, jail wasn't a pleasant settlement from what he's heard of it. Responsibility battled with self-preservation. He made a decision.

* * *

"... So he caved. We played, let him win a few times. He got cocky and we went in for the kill. Got the scroll and some of the other trinkets he had with him. Last we saw of him, he was bawling like a baby and drowning himself in mead." Yumi finished her tale with glance at her twin, who was sinking lower and lower into the couch. 

The various incredulous reactions were evident in the faces of many, except maybe Mika who still kept her passive mask. To think that the daughter of someone as nice as Keitaro, of all people, would end up as conniving and evil as her. Even going as far as using her sibling. She must have gotten it from Kitsune, who was already starting to like the kid.

"_Ne Nee-san_. You forgot to mention how you cheated that game." Yuri decided to add, her cheeks noticeably red with anger and embarrassment at remembering those events.

"Details, details." She waved off with a shrug.

Megumi decided to voice her opinion. "You... are an evil person."

Yumi was about to retort when Mika cut in. "You say that you are a collector. What is it exactly that you collect?"

"Many rare items and artifacts. Some imbued with hidden or unusual powers. Take for example that die your holding. Drop it on the ground and I'll demonstrate."

The plum-haired girl hesitated a moment but complied, letting the die fall from her grasp and land on a side of its own volition.

A familiar gleam dawned in the older twin's eye as she spoke. "Two."

"Huh?"

The die collided with the floor, clattering in random directions before coming to a halt. On the side that presented itself to the residents showed two white dots, indicating that it had landed on the number '2'.

_Lucky guess?_

A sudden flash of black light sparked from the small cube, and from the two dots ingrained at its side, shot two orbs of energy the size of a fist that hovered above the die for a moment then rocketed at both Chiyoko and Yunalla. Having little time to react, they took the hits, the impact sending them skidding many paces back.

Chiyoko was the first to recover in a rage. "What was that!?"

"What sorcery is this!?" Barked Yunalla, the defense system of her backpack kicking in at the moment of impact, taking the brunt of the damage.

"That is the power of the die. It's not all that impressive, but it catches the opponent off-guard. You roll it, guess what number it lands on, and if you are correct, it sends a number of energy projectiles at any target the caller wants it to." Yumi's patented grin showed itself once again followed by Yuri's own sigh.

"So you did it on purpose!?" Yunalla felt insulted at the troublemaker's attempt of assault against her. Judging by her scowl and furrowed brow, Chiyoko was thinking along the same lines.

"Pretty much. What are you gonna do about it, Hime-chan?"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "'_Hime-chan!?_ That does it! I, Yunalla Su, challenge you to a duel! If, no, _when _I win, you and your sister must leave the premises and never return!"

"Interesting. And if I win, I keep that interesting little backpack of yours." At the aspect of a new addition to her collection, she unconsciously licked her lips.

"Oi! I wanna fight too!" Chiyoko cut in, still seething from the blow.

"I'll take you both on then. You win, I leave. I win, I keep your backpack and your sword. Deal?"

"Don't take me lightly you! I can beat you without her assistance!"

"Assistance? I don't need help nor am I the one to be givin' help."

The gleam in Yumi's cocoa-brown eyes appeared again. "What's the matter? Maybe a little jealous or scared of each other's skill that you don't want to be outshined, hmm?"

Hook. Line. And Sinker.

"As if!" Chiyoko brought her arms to her chest and scoffed.

"I will prove my skills to be superior!" Yunalla shook her fist.

Megumi was concerned. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea. They don't seem to get along very well."

"True." Mika nodded in approval. "If they both neglect in assisting each other, they will ultimately decrease their chances of winning instead of having an advantage over her."

_And she knew of this all along..._ Mika noted to herself as her impassive gaze turned to the fox girl's child.

_Impressive..._

* * *

I found that chapter a little short. I dunno, it's just me. 

**Looking for a beta. Send a review or PM me please.** I won't require you to, but I will be more convinced of your skill if you were to send one with proper spelling, good grammar, and impressive vocabulary.

From what I'm planning with this fic, there will be **lots of chapters**. I can only hope that my patience will hold until then. I hope you guys like long stories cuz this is gonna take a while to finish.

Reeeeeeeeevieeeeeeeeew...


	10. Chapter 10: Lady Luck

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

_**"Strings Intertwined"  
**__by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter 10 -Lady Luck**_

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

"Well Keitaro, I have to hand it to you. I never expected you would also land Kitsune as a future wife. Much less, have a kid like Yumi." Haruka jibed while taking a deep inhale of her omnipresent cigarette, savoring its addictive toxic gas.

"But Aunt Haruka, it's not my faul-"

_**Fwap!**_

"Don't call me 'aunt'." The older Urashima reprimanded the boy with a good hit to the head with her trusty fan.

"_Gomen_. But I seriously had nothing to do with it! Well, erm... at least not yet I guess. Ah... This is so confusing!" The poor kanrinrin of Hinata-Sou rubbed his head vigorously, trying to fight back a very strong migraine. Time-traveling, marriage, daughters, the residents, all these were hard enough to sort in his head and to have it all shoved into his face in the span of a few days did not help. There was also his promised girl and Tokyo University. What of that? Being in the midst of total insanity didn't really help him in reaching his goal. It was really cutting into his studying.

He found it hard to read Kitsune's thoughts on the matter. As nearly predictable as she may be in her playful mannerisms, he wasn't entirely sure of her opinion of being married to him, much less have children with him.

Keitaro then thought back to the others whom he will have children with as well. What were their thoughts on it? Surely they couldn't take something like this lightly. He doubted that they had thought this over carefully with all the hectic occurrences that have been coming about within these few days.

He saved these thoughts for later, deciding to focus on the spectacle before him.

The kanrinrin, along with the tenants, was seated anxiously outside of the Hinata apartment building. They were made audience to the bout set to happen between the brash and manipulative Yumi and the fighting pair of Yunalla and Chiyoko. Chiyoko took a stance, brandishing the sword, Shisui, that was given to her by her mother. Yunalla garbed herself in her newly constructed armor, which looked similar to her previously destroyed one only sleeker and thinner in design for speed-oriented combat. Yumi stood impassively opposite the pair with a smug smile, her bag of trinkets still slung on her back.

Mika looked uninterested in the battle, confident that its results are no threat to her. Katsumi still retained her bemused expression, nearly identical to her mother's. Yuri sat a bit further away from Yumi's side, watching over her older sister while being uninvolved in the fight. Megumi and most of the other tenants watched on in interest.

Su cheered her daughter on in the sidelines. "Yeah, Yunalla! Kick her butt!"

This earned a small smile to grace Yunalla's lips underneath her helmet. She nodded her head assuredly still gazing at her opponent.

Motoko, being one of the 'older' experienced fighters was made referee and stood in between the the two groups. The swordswoman studied her daughter with a scrutinizing eye. "Your stance is off, Chiyoko. Shift your right foot more to your left and bring your sword up higher."

Chiyoko looked annoyed and replied in a mock whiny tone. "_Kaa-san._ I know what I'm doin'."

Kitsune, being a person that enjoyed interesting confrontations, sat next to her younger twin child and eagerly awaited the battle. "Make it good, Yumi-chan." She called out.

"Don't encourage her." Yuri pleaded dryly. "I'm surprised your taking this children dilemma well too."

Kitsune only shrugged. "It was bound to happen, seeing as Shinobu and Su were in the same position. After all, who couldn't resist this body?" She finished with a seductive pose eliciting an incredulous stare from Yuri.

"Alright then," Motoko announced, drawing everyone's attention. "This will be a 2 vs. 1 battle. The wagers and conditions for winning the battle are set," She raised her arm and made a brief glance at the fighters.

"_**HAJIME**_!"

In a flash, Yunalla disappeared from her previous position and into a fast approaching blur towards Yumi. With the speed-enhancements done into her armor, Yunalla was easily closing into the arrogant older twin as fast as the eye could blink. She smirked at her apparent victory. _I'll put you in your place, girl._

Within a meter of a distance between them, Yunalla leapt from her stride and geared her fist for a devastating punch. Yumi merely stood there, unphased, with her smirk still present. The punch connected with her face, making it break and shatter into... glass?

_What trickery is this?!_

The shards of broken glass turned to mirrors before, reflecting the light and shocked faces of the audiences before fading away into nothingness.

"Whew, that was close. Almost had me there Hime-chan." From a certain voice distance to her left, Yunalla turned to see Yumi still standing unscathed.

In a rage that put away any voice of reason, she charged again in her superior speed for another blow. Her fist only met glass once again.

"Show yourself!" Commanded the angered princess.

"Yooh_oo!_ Hii_iii_me-cha_aaa_n!" A sing-song tone called out to her from behind. Yumi waved to her in a mocking manner like one would to a child.

With a growl of impatience, the tanned girl advanced again with more speed, intent on landing a successful blow this time. Once again, her fist only managed to plow through a thin sheet of glass. As the shards cleared, it showed that her gauntlet had come in contact with a sword intent on blocking her blow.

"_Oi_, _boke_! Watch where you're throwing those punches!" An irate Chiyoko berated her. She stood in place of the glass illusion, almost too late to have blocked the armored girl's blow.

"If you had not been in the way, I could have hit her!" Yunalla spat back as she retracted her fist from Shisui.

In their quarrel, they failed to notice the handful of red dice Yumi held in her hand. "_Ikke! Shukumei no Saikoro!_" The girl threw the dice onto the floor, making them clatter and roll noisily. This caught the pair's attention.

"This is bad! There are too many dice!" Chiyoko took a step back in caution, recalling the unique powers of the dice.

"But she couldn't possibly guess the number showed by all these dice!" Yunalla quipped.

"True. If I can't guess the correct number, its full power won't manifest." Yumi smirked as the last few dice began to stop in place. "But I can always try another method."

Just before the last die halted its rattling, Yumi spoke. "Even."

A bright flash emitted from each die and sent a large volley of energy projectiles at the wide-eyed pair.

"How-!?"

"It was impossible to find out the exact number, so I guessed if it was an odd or even number. It's only half as powerful as the effect of the exact number, but when I send out that many, it's nearly as effective." Yumi lectured to them as the dice magically drifted back into her hand.

Chiyoko cursed, knowing she couldn't dodge that many projectiles. She aimed her sword at the ground and concentrated her ki into its tip. "_Urashima Chiyoko-ryu: Shipuu Tate!_" With a cry, she drew a circle with Shisui around herself and released the ki from it, discharging a strong wind that wrapped around her and Yunalla in a large hurricane. The dice's attacks were shredded by the force of the wind barrier, protecting them from harm.

This came as a surprise to Motoko. "The Shinmei-ryu school never taught an attack like that..." She mumbled as the hurricane dissipated.

Yunalla appeared in a blur in front of Yumi with her leg poised for an axe kick to the card-wielder's shoulder. She only struck glass once again. "Damn!"

_How does she do that!?_ Were the thoughts of basically everyone besides said girl's sibling.

As if sensing the unvoiced question, Yuri decided to enlighten them. "It's called _'Kyokkai Kagami'_," She paused to see if she had their attention before continuing. " It's a a rare artifact in the shape of a pocket mirror that she keeps almost all the time."

"As the name suggests, it sort of creates an illusion that distorts light by making dimensional mirrors to trick people other than the user to see false images. It has many uses even in a fight," _Though she uses it more often to cheat in poker and other games... _Yuri thought wryly to herself at her sister's immoral mindset. "She's using it to make Chiyoko-san and Yunalla-san think she is in one place when she is actually in another."

"Where did she get such a thing?" Asked Naru.

At this, Yuri looked sheepish. "Erm... Let's just say that it involved breaking into a sacred Japanese temple and... 'tactical persuasion' for the monks." She stifled a small whimper at her recollection of those events. The revealing clothing and the smell of sake was still fresh in her memory. The monks weren't very happy either.

Yumi reached into her bag again, drawing a deck of playing cards from its cluttered recesses. "_Shukumei no Karuta: Kirinaosu._" The deck then started shuffling itself in an alarmingly fast rate on the palm of her hand.

"_Zankusen!_" A wave of ki was sent rocketing towards Yumi only to impact against glass once again while also nearly hitting Yunalla.

"You oaf! Be watchful of where you attack!" Reproached the armored princess.

"Well _you_ should watch where you're standing!" The swordswoman spat back.

"What was that!?"

"You heard me!"

_Chance!_ Taking advantage of the pair's squabble, Yumi drew five cards from the deck and smirked. "Three of a kind."

"**Huh?**" The two paused from their bickering to see Yumi leering at them with her hand holding 5 cards for them to see. The images of the 3 Jacks then jumped from their respective cards and stood at the ready before Yumi. One of the two red jacks held a spear with the blade in the shape of a heart, while the other beheld a large diamond-shaped shield and readied himself to defend Yumi. The black jack sported a spade shaped sword and held it with poise.

"Go!" Yumi ordered the two offensive jacks with a commanding point of her finger. The two jacks nodded and rushed at the opposing pair while the shield-wielding one stayed with their master.

Chiyoko managed to block her assailant's attack with a small deal of difficulty as Yunalla dodged. "What the hell is this thing!?"

Ever the arrogant one, Yumi explained in a mocking tone. "_Shukumei no Karuta._ One of the many demon playing devices along with the _Shukumei no Saikoro._ Like the dice, these cards rely on sheer luck as the creators of these enchanted items believed that true warriors are those blessed and favored by fate. The methods used for harnessing its powers is in the laws of poker One shuffles the deck and draws five cards, then they play whatever hand they get, manifesting it into a physical being. Its power varies on how high in standing the hand is with the 'Royal Flush' being the highest."

"It's only weakness being that you need to shuffle the deck before you can draw another hand again." Yuri added off-handedly.

Yumi turned abruptly with a scowl. "_Baka_ Yuu-chan! Don't tell them its weakness!"

"You didn't say I couldn't and don't call me 'Yuu-chan'!!" The humorous exchange earned a few laughs from the audience including her own mother. Yuri let out an anguished groan before lowering her flushed face.

In that moment of distraction, Yunalla took the time to slip past her assailant and make a dash for Yumi. At a speed nearly rivaling her own, the shield-wielding Jack of Diamonds placed himself between her and her target, his large bulwark set to defend The girl sent a barrage of fast punches at the jack, each blocked with effortlessly with his diamond shield. She attempted to elude the guard but it appeared before her before she could get close to Yumi. "Get out of my way, damn you!"

Try as she might, whether trying to step to the side, jump over it, or fight it, the jack guard would not let her pass beyond the protective circle he had set around his master, his shield holding strong and true to its purpose. If she got too close, he would push her back with the bulk of his shield, garnering a few choice curse words from the pompous girl.

Yumi grabbed a handful of dice and chucked it onto the floor, speaking the word "Odd." before they landed. Her guess rang true as beams of black light jutted from the red cubes and barraged into her enemies.

Spotting the jets of black energy racing towards her, Chiyoko gave an unfeminine grunt and thought up a plan. She crouched in front of the poker manifestations using them as a shield against the enormous volley. Yunalla, not having considered the same tactic as her 'partner', opted to dodge the near endless assault, gradually draining her suit's power as well as her own energy.

_This isn't working! At this rate, she will win!_ The time-traveling princess thought as she knelt on one knee to catch her breath and regain a little bit of her auxiliary power in her armor.

_Damn! I can't keep this up! If this gets any worse, I'll have to use __**that**_ Motoko's daughter cringed at the thought of using her last resort as she still lay crouching before the battered remains of the jacks.

"What's wrong, Hime-chan? Swordie-chan? Tired already? Is it possible that the two of you can't handle little me?" With a huff, Yumi crossed her arms in a victorious fashion and gave a smirk that silently asked 'Is that all you've got?'. "_Kirinaosu._" she whispered to the deck once more and it began its spectral shuffling.

_Crap! She's going to draw another hand! With the hime-boke tired, there's no one distracting that last jack. Even if I use __**that**__, I'd probably miss because of that damn mirror illusion of hers. There has to be a weakness to it..._ With this in mind, Chiyoko strained her brain in thinking up any possible way to counter the collector girl's illusion. If she wasn't careful, she could actually hurt someone without knowing, possibly Yunalla again. The mirror was a damn nuisance since it always found a way to trick her eyes no matter what.

_Wait... That's it! It relies on the opponent's sight to confuse them! So if I don't rely on my eyes and instead concentrate on feeling for the person's energy signature..._ She closed her eyes and focused her ki to reach out to her surroundings, sensing the faint flickering of light around her. Truthfully, she had never honed these kinds of skills to a great extent, thinking they had no real merit in a fight. It was hard, but she managed to find a blob of light in the shape of a woman to her right.

_There!_ At that she gathered an unstable amount of ki into her sword and arms, making both glow a bright blue. With the one remaining jack still defending the tan-haired collector, she had no other option but to unleash her trump card.

_Such an ungodly amount of ki! What is she doing!_ Motoko tensed at the tendrils of blue energy that amassed around her daughter's sword. She was near ready to intervene.

Yumi took a step back in caution within the confines of her illusion, her danger senses kicking in gear.

_This won't kill her... Only knock her out at most... _"_Urashima Chiyoko-ryu!! Kessen Ougi!!_" She paused to bring the glowing Shisui up overhead, ready to strike. This move was unstable, but it was enough to bypass the defenses of the shield-bearing jack. At least that's what she hoped.

"_**JOUTEN HANASU!!**_"

With a fierce warcry, the swordswoman released all ki in one large burst as she slashed downwards. A wave of energy came forth, engulfing the girl, and cut through ground and air with earth-shattering force. It swerved and swayed dangerously, taking the unfortunate Yunalla in its path of destruction earning a shrill cry.

Nearly all had retreated within the safer walls of the Hinata estate, watching on from its windows at the powerful attack. The only exceptions of the aforementioned were Keitaro, Motoko, Su, Mutsumi, Katsumi, and Yuri for varying reasons of either concern, curiosity, or obliviousness.

"Chiyoko! Yunalla! Yumi!" Keitaro cried out, restrained by Motoko from trying to go help them.

"You will hurt yourself, Urashima!" The Shinmei-ryu heiress held him back, trying hard to suppress the tingly feeling she felt at their close contact despite the situation.

Yumi gazed at the wildly flailing surge of ki that had already decimated her mirror image and coming straight at her. Having no real physical training, she knew that she couldn't outrun it and therefore came up with a conclusion.

"I am freakin' screwed..."

As those words left her lips, the wave of energy buffeted her dead-on, disappearing in the upheaval of wind, earth, and dust.

"Nee-san!" Yuri needed no other motivation and jumped into the field. As she ran, she pressed her thumb and index finger in her mouth and gave a loud distinct whistle, as if to signal or summon someone. True enough, an eagle the size of a car had swooped down from the heavens and grabbed on Yuri with its mighty talons, carrying her into the skies.

After a while, the ki attack had dissipated, leaving behind three female forms several dozens of feet off the ground. In true Akamatsu style, the attack had not harmed them that much, only knocking them out cold and shredding them of their clothing, a sight that Keitaro had forgone, their well-being put in higher regard than his libido.

The younger twin sibling, now riding the aforementioned bird, had caught them in mid-air before gravity reacted to their momentum. She let out a sigh in relief that her older sister and two other acquaintances were relatively unharmed, albeit bare as the day they were born besides the parts of torn fabric and metal that still stuck to them.

"Nee-san _no baka_... You're too reckless." A soft smile graced her beautiful features as she gently swept a stray hair from her comatose sister's face.

Yumi mumbled softly in her sleep. "... But I wanted to win..." A cute pout then formed from her lips.

* * *

**Translations:** (Not 100-percent accurate) (Correct me if I'm wrong here)

'_Hajime_' - 'Start'

'_Hime_' - 'Princess' (Hime-chan used as a mocking term by Yumi for Yunalla)

'_Ikke_' - 'Go'

'_Boke_' - 'Idiot' (synonymous with '_baka_')

'_Shukumei no Saikoro_' - 'Fate's Dice' or 'Dice of Fate'

'_Urashima Chiyoko-ryu_' - 'Urashima Chiyoko Style' (comes before any original attack made by Chiyoko)

'_Shipuu Tate_' - 'Hurricane Shield' (original attack made by Chiyoko)

'_Kyokkai Kagami_' - 'Distortion Mirror'

'_Shukumei no Karuta_' - 'Fate's (Playing) Cards' or '(Playing) Cards of Fate'

'_Kirinaosu_' - 'Shuffle' (command used to automatically shuffle '_Shukumei no Karuta_')

'_Zankusen_' - 'Air-Cutting Flash' (Shinmei ki attack)

'_Kessen Ougi_' - 'Decisive Battle Ultimate Secret Technique' (Seriously, not making it up) (Denotes powerful technique)

'_Jouten Hanasu_' - 'Heaven Divide' or 'God Divide' or 'Providence Divide'

----------

Anyways, sorry for the wait. Blame the usual suspects (laziness, video games, sleep-deprivation, etc.).

Longest chapter I've written. Hope you enjoy it.

Review your thoughts on the battle and the daughters! Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11: Start of Something?

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina

**_"Strings Intertwined_****_"_****_  
_**_by Chronos Astral_

_**Chapter **_ **_11 - Start of Something?_**

_Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined._

* * *

"Damnit all!" Cursed an indignant tan-haired teen as she pounded her hand on the hot surface of the steaming water.

"_Nee-san_. Calm down." The girl's still clothed twin sibling advised.

"Don't think so much of it, Yumi-chan." A certain fox woman smirked, a cup of sake in hand as she lounged next to her daughter.

The three were currently relaxing in the hot springs area, letting the anxiety of the battle beforehand wash away. Having dirt and grime from the match stick to her, Yumi decided to clean herself in the springs, twin and mother in tow. Kitsune thought it would be interesting to interact with her daughters-to-be and thus decided to join in their soak. Yuri didn't feel particularly dirty and only stayed to safeguard her older sister.

Yumi was apparently angry at her near-victory over the tanned princess and ki wielder. And when she was angry, she usually threw a fit. And when she threw a fit, she'd need to put the blame on someone. And that someone in particular would always be...

"This is all your fault, Yuu-chan!" She cried with an accusing glare and finger pointing at the younger twin.

"What did I do now?" Yuri retorted back with a tired tone, already used to her sister's tantrums.

"If you hadn't told them how my stuff works, I would have won!"

"You didn't tell me I couldn't. Besides, it was a tie since all of you were knocked out in the end."

"But I wanted to win!" Huffed the girl with a cross of her arms as she puffed her cheeks in anger.

Yuri gave an exhausted sigh, while massaging her brow. "Winning isn't everything, _Nee-san_. Even if we did win or lose, I doubt _chichi-ue_ would let us take their stuff or let us leave."

"Feh! _Jiji_'s too nice for his own good!"

"You know, since we are in the past, technically he isn't old and you can't call him _Jiji_, right?"

"_Jiji _is still _Jiji_, and I'll call him whatever I feel like, Yuu-chan!"

Kitsune snickered on the side as she watched the two bicker like the siblings they are, finding entertainment in the exchange better than some she's seen on the late shows on TV. Sake in hand, she soaked in the humorous family ambience the two shared.

She then decided that playing the observer wouldn't be as fun as playing their mother. "All right you two. That's enough. Now kiss and make up."

"**But she started it**!" They nagged in their eerie twin synchronism while pointing at the other.

"Come on now, do what your mother says." The fox girl let out and amused and playful grin.

"Fine," Yumi motioned for her sibling to come closer to her part of the spring. Yuri complied obediently and crouched closer to hear her.

"I'm sorry, Yuu-chan." She grumbled.

"Apology accepted." The younger sibling smiled warmly in forgiveness. Little did she notice the familiar gleam in her sister's eye.

"Psyche!" Yumi took a handful of her sister's shirt and pulled down hard sending her plummeting into the water. This drew out hard laughs from the mischievous girl and her mother.

"Good one Yumi-chan!" Kitsune put a thumbs up in approval, already taking a fond liking to her new daughters.

It was then that Yuri surfaced from the warm depths, her face red from embarrassment and the heat. "_Nee-san_! Now my clothes are wet!" Yumi only stuck her tongue out in response.

Yup. Konno Mitsune felt that she would get along with the two just fine.

* * *

On the way to the springs, a similar argument broke out between a duo of newly awakened and steamed girls.

"This is all your fault sword girl."

"Me? Like you did anything special, _boke_."

"I'll have you know that my suit wasn't even operating at 80-percent efficiency. I would have defeated her easily if it weren't for you."

"_Che_. You didn't even try avoiding my attack. That little costume of yours wouldn't have lasted in a real fight like that."

"Is that a threat?"

"You wanna make something of it?"

Chiyoko and Yunalla drew into a heated glaring match, trying to peg the other's conviction down. Figurative sparks flew between the two as they approached the springs with towel and washing supplies in hand. They failed to notice the sign that was put up before the changing room.

They both undressed, eyes still on each other with thinly veiled malice. Their thoughts simultaneously wandered onto the tan-haired girl that had nearly humiliated the both of them and her sister, whom they recalled had saved them from what would have been a painful fall.

"Tsch. Damnable girl." Yunalla spat as she recalled her battle with the craft Yumi.

"I'll get her back. Her and her sister." Chiyoko cracked her knuckles menacingly, promising a good dose of pain.

"Who asked the girl to catch me anyway?"

"Damn straight. Could have saved myself fine."

At the same time, said savior was trying to get out of her thoroughly wet clothes. Wringing the soaked clothing, she heard the approaching voices and assumed it to be her sister and mother. She turned to address them both.

"_Mou, Nee-san_. That was a dirty tri-" She then realized that they weren't whom she thought they were.

The pair regarded the familiar blue hair and attractive facet before them. Long soaked locks of light blue sticking to her back and face. A slim and eye-catching figure met their eyes and... was there something missing? Or rather, something that wasn't supposed to be there?

Their eyes moved instinctively to _that_ certain area. Time slowed...

* * *

"Pfffft!!" The ethereal being spat out his drink in surprise. His servants rushed to the scene.

"Kami-sama, what's wrong!?" The winged man queried worriedly.

The entity and master of all creation cleared his throat and composed himself. "E-excuse me..."

_Not even **I** saw that coming. I need to make a note to visit the archives and replace all female references to one Urashima Yuri with male ones because **that** sure as hell don't look like a female appendage. As for what happens next..._

* * *

Yuri looked down to where they were staring and panicked, quickly covering _his_ area with _his_ hands, face redder in comparison to a tomato. "Er... um... W-what are you...?"

A click went of in the minds of the pair, as they refocused on the situation. This _man_ was naked in front of the both of them, whom of which were also naked. A snap of realization came, followed by embarrassment, shock, confusion, and finally, anger.

"**You...**" A low growl penetrated their clenched teeth and shadowed eyes. Yuri jumped with a frightened yelp.

One word was shouted to the heavens. A word spoken so many times in every country, world, timeline, dimension, realm, universe, or plane of existence.

**"HENTAI!!!!!"** And here comes the severe beating that follows.

**_SLAM!!!_** ** _CRASH!!!_**

"I didn't do it!" Keitaro suddenly squeaked on instinct and hid his head in a pillow, whimpering like a puppy.

* * *

"Pfffft! Ahahaha! I have to hand it to you, son, I never would have guessed that you were a guy!" Kitsune guffawed, slapping her son's back with fervor.

In the scrutiny of so many disbelieving eyes, Yuri shrank in his seat, mumbling to himself, his face flushed beyond its limits with his head sporting sizable lumps from his previous encounter with two violent females. In his hair were bits and pieces of wood and his clothes have seen better days.

"It is just impossible," Mika stated incredulously. "You cannot possibly be male. You are much more feminine and attractive than your own sister."

"What's that supposed to mean Loli-baka!?" Yumi snapped at the creepy lolita.

"Is it possible that he's...?" Kanako trailed off.

"He's what?" Megumi inquired, though most others were getting an idea of the unasked question.

Knowing what they were insinuating, the younger twin immediately retaliated. "No, I don't swing that way, honestly. Just because I look and sound like a girl doesn't mean I think I'm one."

"I say we throw him out." Chiyoko demanded, cheeks red and looking away from the feminine looking man.

"Indeed. Otou-sama is the only male presence that may be tolerated here." Yunalla supported with the same flush and animosity.

"Awww, don't be like that, you two," Kitsune said in her son's defense. "It's not like he didn't put on a good show for you when you walked in on him." And the results were as expected as her son and the two girls went even redder, squirming uncomfortably in their seats. Kitsune put on her famous foxy grin in triumph.

Though, despite enjoying her brother's suffering (a trait that comes naturally in most sibling relationships), Yumi found this quite unnerving. "You two leave Yuu-chan alone, perverts!"

"Pervert!? _He_'s the pervert!"

"He saw _us_ naked!"

"Well you saw him naked too!"

"_Nee-san_, please don't mention that out lou-"

"Quiet, Yuu-chan!"

And as the bickering ensued, much to the amusement of the onlookers, Keitaro mused to himself at the familiarity of it all. "Somehow... this sort of familiar..."

"I agree..." Naru quipped absently.

"Same..." Motoko also commented.

* * *

Yuri grumbled incoherently to himself, scratching the side of his face out of habit. He looked to the soft orange glare of the setting sun as he sat on the roof, his body resting against his knees. He thought back on the exchange just a little while ago and couldn't help but feel the blood rush back to his cheeks. Reflexively, he buried his head.

He was again reminded of how undeniably feminine he looked. It wasn't a big deal to him, but it always led to lengthy and awkward explanations if and when one were to find out of his true gender. It wasn't like he was trying to hide the fact that he was male, he just didn't bother since he didn't think looks defined a person, something he picked up from his father. And then there was his sister, who continually used his outward beauty as the main catalyst of her many schemes, a creepy and often horribly unsettling thing to bear. Though with his incredible amount of patience and affection for his older sibling, he'd shrug it off after a while despite the crippling blows to his pride.

"Hey," A gentle voice called to him from behind.

Jumping a little from his reverie, he turned to face the newcomer. "Eh... Hi," He greeted unsurely. "I um... Didn't quite get your name."

"It's Megumi," The brunette smiled.

"Ara? You're here too Yuri-chan? Or is it Yuri-kun?" Another asked from his side. He turned to face the other brunette, who was the splitting-image of her mother. She beamed warmly. "Hello. My name is Katsumi."

"Um... Hi there, Katsumi-san, Megumi-san. If you don't mind, you can just call me Yuri." He nodded at the two girls who stood over him.

"Alright then. I must say, though, you really do look like a girl," Megumi grinned cheekily. He stared back at her with narrowed eyes. "Ahaha. I'm just joking around. It's actually kind of cute."

"That's right, Yuri-kun. As a boy, that look is really cute." Katsumi added merrily.

"Erm... Thanks..." Yuri felt the familiar crimson tinge and couldn't help but glance at the two girls. The orange tint of the sunset looked beautiful against their brown locks. He couldn't help but feel a little mesmerized. And the same could be said for the two girls as the sun descended behind the boy, highlighting his more masculine features.

"Isn't that just sweet..." A certain fox girl whispered quietly to herself, hidden from behind the trio's view as she restrained her struggling daughter from ruining the scene. On each side of her were Yunalla and Chiyoko, both visibly bothered, a red tinge barely discernible on their faces.

Kitsune couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Not much to say here except that some of you may have seen that coming. And if you were, good for you.

A little late on the update. A bit short. A little lacking on the reviews from the last chapter.

Current story stats:

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Don't know why I posted that. I just figured I would since other writers did too.

Reviews please!


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